Scented Candles
by cabasa
Summary: Zuko's broken life of twenty years, though riddled with death has an upside. His girlfriend, Mai, the light of his world is the reason he joins the military after she dies. What happens when he, ten years later, on duty and investigating cases in the South Eastern Earth Kingdom, meets a hooker- Katara, who has an unspeakable secret? Maiko. Zutara. Tom-TomxOC
1. Chapter 1

**Summary:** Zuko's broken life of twenty years, though riddled with death has an upside. His girlfriend, Mai, the light of his world is the reason he joins the military after she dies. What happens when he, ten years later, on duty and investigating cases in the South Eastern Earth Kingdom, meets a hooker- Katara, who has an unspeakable secret?

**Pairings: **Zutara, Maiko, Tom-TomxOC

**Notes: **This story happens in the Avatar Universe even though changes have been made, Zuko is twenty, Mai is nineteen and Katara is eighteen in the beginning of the story. Zuko and Katara will age ten years in the coming chapters. Other characters may come in later. Zuko's journey to find the Avatar to regain his honor doesn't exist and neither does his hatred for his father. The war rages on and the Fire Nation is winning. Katara's situation will be explained later.

This is my first attempt at a story varying so substantially from the series, though I have tried my best. Please give me your support by reading and reviewing! I would like to thank Just a Crazy-Man, Assadart, Demonpie17 and avatarspiriaangkorra for your ideas and contributions as well as CNA's Get Rea! series for gifting me with the idea.

X

Zuko leans back as he sits in the palanquin and tries to controls his emotions. The familiar taste of death, the scent of bitterness lingers on his tongue and fills his nostrils. He doesn't know the reasons or the circumstances in which the man who meant so much to him passed, all he knows is that the war brought him down. He closes his eyes as the palanquin bearers begin their journey to the house of Mai's parents.

At twenty, Zuko is in line to take the throne when he turns a year older, even though this is nothing to celebrate. This is evident as a lone tear trickles from him eye and down his face. He's has a wounded life, a broken past and yet for the sake of a nation of men with loyalty and women of strength, he will live on. This is in spite of the many attempts he's made to end it all, he wants to join his uncle, cousin, mother and father in the distant land of the spirits. Yet he has an obligation to not only his people but his beloved girlfriend who has always insisted that he lives on. This advise, of course is something he intends to follow.

Zuko wipes the tear from the marred flesh of his scarred cheek as the palanquin comes to a halt. He peers past the curtain and looks at the woman he loves as she stands at the gates of her home and waves at him. Mai is probably the greatest reason why he's decided to live after all the pain that the gods have bestowed upon him.

He steps out of the palanquin, ventures toward his girlfriend of four years, and takes her hand in his. Even in his time of grief he knows that he will love her for all his years, she ushers him into her chamber. It is small, and not extravagant in any way. The young woman is a believer in simplicity and in the concept of 'less is more' and Zuko likes this about her.

Mai settles on the crimson couch her parents placed in her room, urging him to sit with her as she pulls on his arm, and then proceeds to put her hand on his shoulder. She knows about his recent loss. His Uncle Iroh, a man of great learning and poise has passed away due the battle he was fighting in Ba Sing Se, alongside Lu Ten, his son.

Her superstitious parents disapprove of her relationship with the scarred man who has now laid his head upon her knee. Despite her boyfriend's high standing as Prince of the Fire Nation and heir to the throne, they are concerned about her future and their perceived notion that he brings bad luck. They had even gone to a fortuneteller to determine the future of their daughter if she continues to come into contact with the prince.

"It is difficult for you, I know you loved him like a father, but we both know that your uncle is now in the presence of angels," she mends and runs her fingers through his hair and presses a kiss to her boyfriend's forehead. He shuts his eyes, as if savouring the contact of her lips on his skin. He can feel his body tingling at her soft touch, as his head sits on her lap.

Even after four years of dating this perfect woman, Zuko still cannot believe how fortunate he is to have a girlfriend like Mai. He still sometimes pinches himself to make sure this is not a dream. He has to thank his sister for befriending this woman.

At the thought, his features dim. His sister now resides in a mental institute. The cheating of her lover, Ty Lee coupled with the fact that their father had murdered their mother just before killing himself, clouds both their lives. Though he knows it affected her more, his scar is testament to that. She had given it to him one night when he was trying to calm her.

"You're all I have now," he says sadly as he sits up and moves to kiss her lips. They are soft and beautiful and he would kiss them all day if she'd let him. "I love you, you know that right?" he queries and pulling away, presses his lips to her forehead.

"Zuko," she begins tentatively. "I think it might be a good idea for you to join the army, maybe doing something for the Fire Nation, something honourable will make life for you more meaningful," she says. After all, it is the purpose of this meeting. "I just want you happy," her voice is soft, measured as the young man pulls away. "I love you," she says. It is sincerity at its best, it is love at its finest but he doesn't think an occupation that involves killing and witnessing bloodshed and Agni forbid, death, is healthy for a broken spirit like his own.

"You know what happened to my uncle," he says, clearly upset. She quickly places her hand on his shoulder as he releases steam from his nostrils. "Why do you come up with such suggestions? Would you prefer me dead?" he questions. She pulls his head to face her but he turns away.

"I… I just thought…"

"You thought wrong," he says and stands from his position on her sofa.

"Zuko," she calls his name. Her voice is warning, he doesn't know when to back down sometimes, and this is evidence. "I was just giving you a suggestion," she tells him but he doesn't listen, just looks at her with eyes that burn.

"I don't think you understand what this war has done to my family," he says bitterly and she shakes her head and sighs, exasperated. "You don't understand. You never understand," his voice is raised as he storms out of her room, not bothering about the weeping of her soul.

X

There is a man who lives just a stone's throw away from the royal palace. He is a noble with ties and secrets hidden even though no one has questioned him. The middle-aged man, his eyes sparkle gold, as is typical of Fire Nation citizens, though, his allegiance proves otherwise. There is a life he hides from the sight of the world, an untold story of a religion he practices that is forbidden here in his motherland.

Outwardly he is a true Agni worshiper, visiting the temples daily and burning incense. At his office he has an alter of the Fire God. He fasts and prays often, handing out pamphlets promoting worship services at the temple.

But then, in the privacy of his home, he prays twice daily, does not eat red meat and worships the god of the earthbenders. Zai is a veteran of the war, serving as captain in the Fire Nation army in his younger days. He converted to the forbidden belief when he was 28, after the patriarch of a large Earth Kingdom family spared his life after its sons captured him. And now, now, all Zai does is live for the god of the Earth Kingdom.

He thinks about the mercy that was bestowed upon him and the man he now calls 'father'. And even though his life was preserved, even though he survived his captivity, he knows that the Fire Nation is a cruel one and he will stop at nothing to prevent them from harming the rest of the world.

This of course, is not common place amongst men who are noble. Nobility, he doesn't like that the word is used to described the Fire Nation royalty and the wolfdogs that are their lackeys. He shuts his eyes as he kowtows to the idol he had secretly brought back from the Earth Kingdom.

"I honour you," he words are innocent, harmless, even though his thoughts are not, and that is because the way he wishes to do so, is to murder.

X

There will be blood.

The street is quiet and all she can hear is the sound of her own footsteps. Night has fallen and there is little activity. Living in the Fire Nation capital for most of her life has been a great privilege. Having the princess as he close friend and confidante is even better. But the thing that makes the young woman's life shine is the fact that the young Fire Prince is hers.

At the thought of her boyfriend, a rare smile brightens her features. Despite everything wrong in their relationship, despite all his tantrums that cause her headaches, she loves him. Mai glances down at the gold ring on her finger. It is a gift from Zuko for her birthday, the day, according to him, is the most beautiful and important day in history. She sighs softly and touches her ring with her right hand.

The gold, warm to the touch, has only a fraction of the heat that burns in her heart for Zuko. Despite not being a firebender, Mai is a skilled martial artist in her own right. Knives and stilettos, sharp and deadly are her weapons of choice and she would have it no other way. Her parents disapprove; they never fancied a fighter in their _little _girl. She knows this, but it doesn't stop her from training in the art.

There is a sound to her left and the fighter in her is on immediate alert. She doesn't see him, even though she sends two of her most potent weapons in his direction. And then there is a sickening wetness that covers her clothing. The sound is soft, inaudible almost, and there are faint thoughts that come to mind: _probably no one noticed it, I want to see Zuko before I die, is it raining? _And that, is when she realises that the it isn't and that the wetness has come from her heart.

X

Her funeral, in keeping with her preference in life, it is simple, nothing fancy. Even though, her father has insisted that the dais on which she shall be cremated, be made with the finest marble the Earth Kingdom city of Omashu can offer. Zuko is not invited to the funeral but all the same, he is at the home of his girlfriend's parents.

He is dressed in simple garb, white and pure and is kneeling outside their gates. His heart aches, and his head is spinning but he will not move, not until they let him into the compounds of their home. All he wants is to see her, for one last time in his unfortunate life, lay his eyes upon her beautiful face. He longs to kiss her, kiss her until she opens her eyes, which at this point, he has deceived himself enough can happen if they'd just let him try.

"Governor!" his voice is hard even though his heart is broken. "Please," he sobs and can feel the tears trickling down the scarred side of his cheek. "I just want to see her, see her one last time," his voice doesn't come out, instead it is a whisper. They deny him because he is bad luck and even though Zuko has long dismissed of all superstitious beliefs, he cannot help but feel like they are right.

"Get out of here!" the man who was supposed to be his father-in-law, the man who was meant to become the grandfather of his children, the man who hates him, shouts. And then, there is a hurtful cry, loud and unmasked as Mai's mother screams, hysterical. Zuko wishes that everything would be different, he really wishes that life would be kinder, wishes things could change.

He didn't even get a chance to tell her how sorry he was after his outburst regarding her suggestion for him to join the Fire Nation army. They never had a chance to make up, he never got to tell her how important she is to him again. He had once promised he would tell her that every day for the rest of their lives.

Though, he will live on, for the sake of her, he will live on, it is her wish, he knows she would hate him to harm himself even though every fibre of his being is screaming at him to end it all. "Mai!" his cries are painful, heartfelt and wrecked but her parents do not allow him in.

"Go away," her father shouts and pushes him to the ground. The governor can feel his heart drop to the pit of his stomach as the realization that he will never walk his daughter down the aisle, that she will never have a chance to grow old, washes over him repeatedly. "You caused this!" he exclaims as his tears fall freely. "You and your family!" he has every intention for his voice to be hard and firm, but cannot help it when it cracks. His daughter, healthy and young, was stolen from him, by a man he had once called 'friend'.

Zai was his bunkmate; they had entered the army together, though were separated when he became a commando and his fellow soldier an officer. "I will never forgive you," he says, though it is unclear to whom.

Thank Agni, she had taken him down, thank Agni she had killed him as he did her. The arrow that had ended her has been buried, even though the stilettos she had killed with reside in his study. At least he will die with the knowledge that his daughter didn't die in vain, but brought a vile man along to the grave.

"I swear, I will never forgive you," his tears pour as he guides his wife back into their home, Zuko doesn't see them again.

* * *

**A/N: I hope you have enjoyed this story thus far, to encourage me and give me support as well as to help me improve, please review, fav and add this story to your alerts list. Your actions will be truly appreciated. CAN I PLEASE GET at least10 REVIEWS? **


	2. Chapter 2

"_You know, I think you will make a great father," her words come suddenly and Zuko looks up from Tom-Tom's bright red cheeks to see his girlfriend, who looks more than a little beautiful, staring at the sight before her. The young man can feel a kind of happy-like-a-kid-praised-for-having-good-grades kind of joy fill his being. He smiles at her, a toothy grin plastered on his features as he shakes the milk bottle his future brother-in-law is drinking from._

_Her parents do not know of the prince's attempt at feeding their son. They are, after all, in Omashu, while Mai and her brother are in the Fire Nation. "Well, what makes you say that?" he asks as he pulls the bottle from the boy's mouth and proceeds to rub the child's back to release a burp. Yes, he is really getting into the whole father thing._

"_The way you hold him… even Dad doesn't do that. And you change his diapers, which is so sexy," she says with a smirk. He returns the gesture._

"_Well, I like to think my mother raised me with good manners," he replies and touches his hand to Tom-Tom's face. At two, Tom-Tom is something that brightens the young prince's life and that is all thanks to his beautiful girlfriend giving him the opportunity to be a father… of sorts. _

"_Poo-poo," the child says loudly as his face turn a certain colour of green. Mai is slightly alarmed but Zuko knows exactly what needs to be done. He carries the child and moves him to the bathroom where there is a potty. The prince places the boy, whose face reflects his concentration on his task, Zuko smiles and touches his hand to the child's face. Mai comes into the bathroom to find a prince, who is not afraid of getting his hands dirty and a boy who adores said prince. _

_Tom-Tom who has relieved himself tries to grab the prince's fringe. Zuko captures his chubby hand in his larger one as he lifts the child into his arms and cleans him. It may seem dirty to most, he knows, but Zuko cannot help but think that he is very good at handling children. _

"_When we have our children, I swear I'll be hands-on," he tells his girlfriend who indulges in a rare smile. Amused, Mai even chuckles light-heartedly. "What?"_

"_You really are confident that we will end up together huh?" she says, clearly tickled. Mai is a completely different person when she's with Zuko. She is kinder, she smiles more, and above all, she is happier. Zuko moves to her, the boy still in his arms as he presses his lips to hers. _

"_I wouldn't have it any other way," he says and her cheeks redden. Yes, indeed, she would love to be the mother of his children._

Zuko

X

It has been eight weeks since she left. I sit in my bedroom as I look through the pictures she had drawn of us. My favourite one is still hangs on my wall. It is the first we got painted, way back when we started dating. I close my eyes as I think about the love of my life. I didn't even have the opportunity to say that I'm sorry. After I left that day, I reflected on my dumb behavior but I never got to apologize and that is something that will haunt me for the rest of my days.

"Mai," the sound of her name on my lips is more than I can bear and before I know it, I am reduced to a sobbing mess. "I love you," I don't think I said that to her enough. Mai deserved to be loved, still deserves to be loved. She is perfect, despite all my tantrums and childishness, she still loved me and I'd like to think that she still does.

As I look through the keepsakes I have of her, I chance upon woodcarvings, two to be exact. On the first, there is her face. The other bears mine. The words carved into the wood- inseparable, connected, forever. I can feel my throat closing. The bastard that carved this… he owes us an apology for lying. I shut my eyes as I feel a form of guilt flood my being. That day, that damned day I was too fucking stupid, I let her be less than happy. The fact that I once swore I would never let her down is not helping.

I am a disappointment, foolish and stupid and that is a sad fact. I run my thumb over her features. If only… if only I had a chance to tell her how sorry I am, tell her that I will give her suggestion a chance, tell her I love her, my life would be less freaking pitiful.

I fish out the ring I had bought along with the one I got for her birthday. The gold sparkles in the light and I can feel my inner fire roar as I touch the ring that is hanging from my neck. It is warm to the touch and I wonder when it will next meet its other half. A familiar gush of sorrow engulfs me, threatening to make me fall deeper into my broken pit of sorrow. I take a swig of fire whiskey. The drink is what has accompanied me for the much of my time brooding.

For eight weeks, I have been wallowing in sadness and bitterness, taking every opportunity available to hate myself. To be honest, I have considered suicide on multiple occasions, though the memory of Mai brings me back to reality. If I die, then I would be letting her down.

There is a knock on my bedroom door but I do nothing to conceal the fact that I have been drinking heavily. I pull the door open and there staring up at me is my firebending master. Master Hisaishi is a good man, always has been, always will be. He is a good friend, a pillar of support when my late father wasn't. I sigh loudly and head back into my room, though I leave the door open. The master enters and looks around him. He is visibly upset and disturbed but does nothing to hide this.

"Agni damn it," he says loudly as he moves to look me square in the eyes. "I know it hurts," he says and shakes his head. "I know how much you love her, she was your world, but Zuko, people die, they don't live forever. You have got to pull yourself together," he says and slaps my face lightly.

"Fuck you," I say aloud and push him away but he doesn't back down. "Fuck all you bastards," my voice is hostile and I mean every word. I have no one, there is no one but me, in this lonely world. And then there is a thought, I am not alone, there is Master Hisaishi here with me and that, although isn't enough, should make things lighter.

I move to sit on the chair at the dresser and the master takes a seat on my bed. I close my eyes as he sighs softly and shakes his head. "It's been hard on you," he says quietly and moves to touch my shoulder. "But I remember you telling me that she wanted you to join the army," he states and I open my eyes. His face is sober but there is something there, just a little touch of hope. Maybe there will be some light out of this situation after all.

"Yes, she does," the present tense is something that brings my spirit down because it is a lie, something I tell myself to make it less difficult to live. "She did anyway," I correct myself and he scratches his chin thoughtfully.

"There is a friend of mine, Zhuang is his name and he is a great general of high standing. Why, he even fought alongside your uncle once," he says and looks at me. I ponder this over. Maybe it would be a good idea after all, maybe it would be nice to honor the memory of the woman I love.

"When can I talk to him?" my words are firm, certain. He smiles at the revelation that there is hope yet.

"Well, he is free whenever you are," he says and pats me on my shoulder. "Remember Zuko, this is what Mai wants," and then he leaves, even though my mind burns with a thousand questions.

X

_He lies in her bed and waits for her to get ready. With his firebending, he lights the candles at her bedside and inhales their sweet scent. _Scented candles for a beautiful night, with a beautiful woman._ Zuko is slightly impatient as the sound of water splashing comes to him. She is bathing in the washroom._

_He's made love to her before, their first time happened one night when they had gone hiking in the Southern Fire Nation. Her sixteenth birthday had just passed and she had told her parents that she would be visiting Ty Lee to celebrate. It wasn't a complete lie, Ty Lee had indeed agreed to let Mai and Zuko occupy the house that was her parents'. _

_They had been tracking for days, occasionally stopping to take in the fresh air and the scenic picture of mountains and valleys. When they finally reached the other girl's house, they got settled in for the night. Zuko was the perfect gentlemen, sleeping separately from his girlfriend. He was not your average horny teenager who couldn't control their hormones. He had been tempted as hell to slip into her bed and make love to her but refused to do anything she wasn't ready for._

_Then at midnight, when he was struggling to get to sleep, she had crawled into his bed, holding on to him as she touched his chiseled chest with her slender fingers. He couldn't resist her and had kissed her, it was chaste at first. Innocent and beautiful, but soon grew wild with lust and longing. And then before they knew it, they were making sweet, sweet love._

_Zuko recalls the way her body felt in his grasp that night and that familiar impatience fills his waiting body. He moves to her bathroom and knocks on the door softly._

"_Mai," he says as he removes his shirt and waits for a response. She moves to open the door and in front of him, there in all her beauty is Mai, naked and ready. She holds him and kisses him and plays with him until he can take no more of her teasing. He moves her to the bed and kissing her passionately, leans her gently on the pillow. _

_He tries to play hard to get but she knows that she has the upper hand as she moves. He can tolerate no more of her teasing and begs, boy does he beg and she gives him what he desires. And that night as they sleep, he dreams of her, and the scent of their candles._

**A/N: review people! i love this side of Mai so much it isn't even funny. anyways, i**_**'d **_**love to hear from you! review or send me a pm with your thoughts and constructive advice. thank you for reading! oh and btw, check out my other zutara story 'fallen tears' and review. AND i thought you might like to read and review Bittersweet by ilovesifuhotman. it's really good!**


	3. Chapter 3

"How about a good night for you sir? Looking for some company?" her voice is sweet and ever so alluring. Katara smiles, her lips painted red. It makes her more desirable, or so Mammy says. The waterbender, donning the colors of her native land, begins her nightly banter with men who look to women like her for pleasures their wives cannot provide.

"Mr Chiang," she says to a man waddling past her. "How about a good night for you?" she says as nicely as possible and proceeds to hold on to his arm tenderly.

"Don't touch me you little whore," the Earth Kingdom man, who sells silk, says as he brushes past her. He is one of her regulars, has been for years but the man doesn't seem to want her services on a night like this. Her eyes are large with anger. She knows that he is drunk but she doesn't really care and so spits at him.

Mr Chiang is not a nice man, and so he doesn't take kindly to her actions. He raises a closed fist and punches her in the face. Katara is not the kind of girl who gets bullied easily and responds by biting down on his ear. He screams but she doesn't relent, pulling away she kicks his shin. Now they are even. "Crazy bitch," he shouts and on wobbly legs, moves away from her. She touches her hand to her nose and it comes away bloody. _Great, now I have to go redo my makeup_, she thinks as she crosses the road to the brothel where she works.

The Madam is sitting at the table where they have their daily meals. She looks up at Katara and isn't too happy that one of her girls has been assaulted. "Come here," she says calmly and ushers the girl to sit down. She knows that she is the closest thing they've got to a mother. In fact, she takes them to be her daughters, albeit, far more sexually active daughters than the usual lot. "How many times must I tell you to stay out of trouble? Now look at you!" she exclaims, exasperated.

"Mammy," Katara says, well, whines really. She's been staying here since she was five when the men from the Fire Nation killed her mother and sold her into prostitution. She sighs heavily and looks at the lady whom she has come to see as a confidante. "What was I supposed to do? He called me a whore," she states to which the woman's face becomes even more exasperated.

"You must learn to control your emotions, you're still a girl, this can be more easily forgiven," she begins. "When I was younger, the Madam I was working for would beat us whenever there were complaints," she tells Katara who now has a towel pressed to her nose. "You girls, you are _lucky," _at the mention of the word, Katara rolls her eyes again. _This_, this is NOT her definition of 'lucky' but she doesn't dispute. "You've got a lot of comments of late, and let's just say they aren't pretty," the woman says as she applies ointment on the bruise on Katara's face.

"You need to make money for yourself Katara, I can't keep feeding you for free. As it is, your business barely keeps you afloat," she sighs and looks at her worker. "I mean, I will look after you until I can no longer but you need to start making money," she states, shaking her head. "Most of our customers say you are very attractive, but that temper of yours put them off," her words just make Katara roll her eyes yet again.

"I know, I know. They are perfect gentlemen with perfect manners and I'm just a slut," she drawls sarcastically and stands from her place at the dining table.

"Where are you going?" the Earth Kingdom woman asks as Katara moves to leave the room. "I'm not finished!" she protests to no avail.

"Fuck that! I'm going to earn my keep," she informs the Madam who watches her leave without uttering another word.

X

_Katara lies on the bed with her eyes set on the washroom door. The man who picked her out of the line up women at the brothel is bathing and has left her to her own devices. She rubs her hands together and wonders how her first time will be like. The other women have explained to her the art of making love. They are, after all, very experienced in bed and she likes to think that what they've told her is true._

Most men know their way around a woman's body, _or so that had said. They claim that the men who visit them, have very good skills behind closed doors. But Katara knows better than to trust their words. She wishes what they have said is true. But she knows that they are just trying to make her less fearful than she is, even though their words do nothing to console her. _

_At age twelve, Katara is the youngest in the brothel, the most inexperience and the only virgin. The man who has engaged her services is about thrice her age. He looks to be nearly six feet and probably weighs way more than she does. The thought makes her teeth chatter. How will he fit into her? The question replays in her head repeatedly and she swallows hard. She wishes she could tell the Madam that she doesn't want to do this, that she is scared, and yet she does want to do it. It is strange really, she knows, but Katara feels the need to be an asset to the woman who has practically raised her._

_After all, she has already become a lady. Her first of many monthly cycles began a month before. Blood, crimson red and angry, came from her private areas and stained her undergarments. That is when Mammy decided that she was ready._

_Her very first customer, a Fire Nation soldier with broad shoulders and a tattoo of a dragon on his chest comes from the washroom. He is naked, wearing nothing but a perverse smile. Katara shrinks into her place on the bed and decides that she really doesn't' want to do this. _

"_Sir," she begins but he pays her no heed. "I don't think I'm up for this," she says timidly but he doesn't listen. Instead, he moved to her half-naked form and holds her, kissing her roughly. She pulls away and slaps him, running for the door. The man does not let her go. He captures her in his arms and squeezes the air from her lungs, like python. "Please," she whimpers as he throws her onto the bed, moving such that he is between her legs. And then, with a single, fluid thrust, he takes her. and that is when she decides that she will never forgive the Fire Nation and it's hordes of bastards._

_When the soldier has his fill of the young waterbender, he looks at her. There is something in his eyes as he puts on his clothing. She presses her hand to her head and she can feel a touch of wetness. It doesn't take long before she realizes that it is blood, and then, everything fades away as she falls into the bottomless pit of darkness._

X

Katara takes a puff of her cigarette. It is a bad habit, smoking. She knows this, but Katara doesn't feel the need to stop. She closes her eyes as she allows the smoke to course down her windpipe. Glancing out at the streets, she decides that it is time again to begin looking for her customers. This has become a ritual of sorts, she goes out to find men who are willing to pay her for the pleasure her body can provide.

Sex… is overrated. Katara snorts at the thought and inhales of the cigarette again. 'Making love' or whatever the romantic scrolls describe is nothing like what she experiences every night. It is crude, it is rough and it hurts. What makes it even more revolting is the fact that it isn't even done between people who love each other.

"Good evening sir," she says and tugs on a Fire Nation soldiers arm. The light is dim and she doesn't know if her eyes are playing tricks on her, because in front of her is the man who took her virginity.

X

"Sweetheart," the monster's voice hasn't changed a bit since his last visit. Katara feels as if this whole situation is being depicted in an awful nightmare. His gaze is belittling, is disgusting and yet there is something about the way he is staring at her that prevents the waterbender from looking away. It's almost as if he is looking into her very soul. He no longer dons the Fire Nation armour and she assumes that he has retired from the military.

Her mind is racing, it is running, it is jumping and yet she doesn't know what the thoughts are saying. It wanders, leaving her numb. There is nothing like this feeling, she doesn't remember being someone who doens't feel. Katara is an emotional person; she is very in touch with her feelings and so for her to be unaware of herself alarms her faintly.

The girl turns to lock the door as she prepares herself for the night. She peels back her layers of clothing. She begins with her outer tunic, blue as the sea. She stands in her bindings as she turns and looks at the man who is now lying on the bed eating peanuts. There is lust in his eyes, longing, it is feral almost and Katara can feel her body tensing up.

She doesn't want to do this, but the man has promised her a heavy bag of gold if she accedes to his every desire. Katara, poor and nearly penniless cannot refuse his offer. And so before she knows it, she has removed her bindings and is standing before her rapist, showing, rather reluctantly, her naked flesh.

"Ahh, you have grown haven't you," his voice is dripping with venom and everything in Katara is screaming for her to flee, run from this room and never return. However, she cannot bring herself to do so. It has been her lifelong desire to face the man who killed her spirit. She wants to kill him, send him to hell but she will not, for she is too afraid and timid.

And so the eighteen-year-old lies on the bed, naked and waiting. The beast, pauses for a moment to eye her body. And then he holds her, kisses her neck and does to her what should be reserved for the husband she will never have. Katara bites back the cry that longs to pierce through her lungs, she holds back the anguish that threatens to spill from her, as she allows her tears to flow.

After the man has his fill of Katara, he lifts himself of her form, dresses quickly and heads for the door. Katara pulls the blanket to her neck and almost lets him leave. Her mind is wandering again and she feels physically sick.

"What about my gold?" she hears herself say. The Fire Nation man looks at her, glares really as he moves to her.

"Here's your payment," he says and slaps her across the face. "You little slut," his voice is dark and she feels her anger grow. She watches in disgust as he lowers his pants and urinates over her; the ultimate insult. "You little slut, that's what you get for trying to take my gold," he laughs and moves to the door.

What happens after this, Katara doesn't really register. But what Mammy describes to her later would give her the feeling of perverted satisfaction. Because according to the woman, Katara took a knife from the nightstand and plunged it right into the man's heart, and then left him to bleed to death as she watched.

His murder will not be her last.

* * *

**A/N: Please read and review! can i get at least 10 reviews? pretty please? :) lol anyways, as always, i hope you enjoy this story. and please keep the suggestions coming!**


	4. Chapter 4

Katara

X

I have never really given much thought to what I would do outside of prostitution. I mean, I didn't exactly have a normal childhood nor anyone whom I could model my life after. The only parent I knew, well, know is a woman who is not my mother. Mammy is the only light in my dark world, spirits, she is one of the few people that is good to me. I remember the times when I was still a child, wandering around the brothel, the good side of it anyway, and being babied by the ladies who worked there.

The first few years of my time there, I didn't have a clue as to what was in store for me. I remember sucking my thumb and occasionally listening in to the stories the girls had for Mammy as I sat upon her knee. There was one girl in particular, her name was Willow, she would cry every time she serviced a particular customer. I remember her face, and the bruises that came upon her cheeks time and again. She was a good girl, always polite but never happy. She took her life one summer's night when I was eight.

I take a puff of smoke and a swig of lager as I stare at the other ladies getting ready for the night. I'm not on duty tonight and can therefore spend my time talking with Mammy. Mammy, old as she is, with her nagging and her reproach, has always been a good woman. I never saw her in a negative light. You would think that I would, considering the fact that she is the vendor of the sex I can provide to men. But truth be told, I don't blame her the least bit. There is no doubt in my mind that she is good, but forced into this industry herself. Prostitution is the only trade she understands.

I take another breath of the cigarette in my hand and enjoy the way the smoke fills my lungs. Smoking is a terrible habit but I don't plan on giving up on it anytime soon. I was eleven when I picked it up and have been addicted since. The women of the brothel begin heading out to the cold but I stay put. The night is far too frigid for me to go out.

On one occasion, I must have been slightly above twelve, had just lost my virginity and was trying to gain attention. I held on to one potential customer who put snow down my dress. I was furious, screaming uncontrollably and attacking the man with my bending. He was wounded pretty badly, a swollen cheek and broken teeth. It was then that I realized that I would never take that shit from anyone ever again, and I didn't, not until last night.

The events begin to unfold in my mind. The thoughts have not left me since. The wounds I had obtained from my encounter with that bastard are still fresh and raw as are the memories. The body, I will not speak of where it is. It is bruised and bloodied and nearly beheaded. I don't really remember the attack, all I remember is severing his manhood from between his legs and stuffing it into his mouth.

The offensive object felt better in my hands than in between my legs. I never thought that one could indeed gain pleasure by holding on to one of those things, but apparently it is possible. Even though it isn't in a sexual light but in a violent one. I remember the blood that surrounded us, the pleading in his eyes and thank the spirits, the brokenness in his those golden orbs. The sweet melody of the laugh that came from my lungs made the appeal of murder ever more enticing.

It is piles of shit like him that make me sick, but then now, instead of being the weak twelve-year-old shivering in the corner of the bed as she gets raped, I am now a braver, stronger woman that I could ever imagine to be. A twisted smile plasters my face as I think about the look on his features when I first drew blood from his throat. It was horrific, but not in the least bit off-putting. I would gladly do it again if I have the chance.

Mammy comes into the dressing room, her eyes are frantic and her breathing is heavy. "The police are here, they want to speak with you," her words come out very fearful but I bear no heed to her panic. I simply nod at her and head out to the dining room. There, in full Fire Nation regalia are a man and a woman, their clothes are red as blood and their eyes, as bright as the stars. I do not pay their attitudes much heed as I casually sit across from them.

"I'm very sure you know retired Captain Hiroshi? According to some of the soldiers here at the brothel last night, we know that you were with him," the woman says. Clearly, she must be a firebender considering the fact that she isn't carrying any weapons. A muscle in my jaw tightens as I, for the first time am slightly anxious of the outcome of this meeting, I do not show it. "We also know from interviews with his former colleagues that he had visited you before last night," she adds and sits back in her seat as, I imagine, she hopes to witness me unravel.

I do not.

"I did service him last night, but he went on his way, he even gave me a parting gift," I state sarcastically and point at the swelling of my cheek. "He certainly isn't your nation's most polite citizen," my words come out snarky and just a little condescending, and I can see the annoyance on their features which they obviously try to hide.

"I can bear witness, he left here at about a quarter past twelve, I collected the money from him myself." Mammy's voice comes out strong and sincere such that I am slightly relieved and surprised at her ability to lie. "Here," she says as she rises from her seat across from mine and heads to her cash register. Calmly, she fishes out the notes from the counter and hands them over to the police officers who seem a little less than convinced. "You can reference the codes of these notes, I'm sure you will know that we are telling the truth," her words seem like a pretty good alibi but they don't seem to buy it.

"I saw him leave," a stranger's voice joins in to the whole situation. I break my glare into the male officer's eyes as I look up at the strange man. He is old, not very attractive, with a hunchback. He looks around fifty and is dressed in red. "He left at about the same time as I did," his words don't seem menacing but I am beginning to wonder what kind of man he is and why he is trying to cover up from us. I suspect he wants something in return and quite frankly now, I don't really give a damn what it is, I'll give it to him. Bearing in mind that he hails from the Fire Nation and the fact that they are a completely sex-crazed bunch, I'm assuming that's what it is.

"Is that so?" the male officer asks as he scratches his chin thoughtfully. "We will be in touch," he states simply and I can practically hear the trust he has for his fellow citizen ooze from his lips. I close my eyes as I exhale heavily and then realizing that this might change their verdict, I cough hard as I try to dispel their possible suspicion.

"Yes sir, they are telling you the truth," the ugly Fire Nation man states and I smile sweetly at the officers.

"Well, we best be going," the female officer says as she takes her helmet and nods at Mammy. "Thank you for your cooperation," she states as they head out the door. I turn to the Fire Nation man and my eyes are sincerely thankful, even though I cannot say the same about my heart.

"Thank you," I hear Mammy say as she hands the man some money. He pockets it and doesn't even thank her. "I really am grateful for what you have done," she says. When I look at the man, he is eyeing me, my body, the way my dress's neckline is slightly lower than it should be. "If there is anything we can do for you…"

"I want her services for a week, free of charge," he states as he points at me. I feel like a sex toy all over again. When will I be a person who can pride herself as someone who is doing something meaningful? "Blow jobs, hand jobs, sex… whatever floats my boat," he states. His tone of lust and horniness is revolting and the fact that he is sweaty and stinks of alcohol doesn't help much either.

"Well," Mammy is not at all happy with his… offer. "Do you want to do it?" she asks and I nod at her. I have no desire to do what he longs for me to do, I have no desire to sleep with this man and give my body to him, but I will, if not for my sake, for Mammy's.

"Excellent," the man says as he rubs his hands gleefully, his eyes are reflective of his lust and I can practically feel my stomach churning. In all my years being a hooker, I have never had the pleasure of meeting a sexually attractive man. I mean, can I ever have it easy? I roll my eyes inwardly as I usher him into the room where again, I will be used as a tool for a man's pleasure.

X

There is a certain kind of calm that fills Katara's being as she begins to undress. She looks at her partner for the night. The man is much older than her eighteen years, much uglier than herself and much, much wealthier. She slips out of her attire and watches in degust the way he eyes her from head to toe. He will be her life for this night and many to come and she will remain disgusted.

"My name is Ming," he states simply as he unzips his pants. "I just thought you should know," he states. Casually she glances at the bracelet on his wrist. Fire Nation citizens wear bangles to represent their marriage. It is so because the bracelet does not interfere with their bending. A ring would heat up too much and might cause some damage. "And what might my little flower's name be?" he asks as he sits up from his position on the bed, moving toward her and caressing the soft skin of her neck.

"Sapphire," she lies. It's not like it actually matters, all he wants is to fuck her, he doesn't care about her, he doesn't care about her wellbeing. There is no need to let him know her real name.

"Well then Sapphire," he says as he removes his pants, revealing a small, and rather shriveled up thing. "Do it," he says and settles on the bed. Katara swallows hard and moves to him. Every fibre in her being is screaming at her to run and never look back, but she has been a strong woman, and she intends to keep it that way.

She does as he says and doesn't hold back despite the fact that this whole situation is revolting and oh so disgusting. She completes her task and even engages in certain other acts. But when his needs go beyond the usual fare, and begins to include beating her and burning her with his bending, Katara decides that she's had enough.

"Hold still," he says as he pins her down on the bed. Her mind screams as she struggles free, practically throwing the man onto the ground. His face morphs from one of perversion to one of surprise and then one of shame as the humiliation sets in. "What the hell do you think you're doing?" he questions, his eyes burning. He rises from his position on the floor and takes his belt. Roaring out angry comments, he beats her.

He moves to slap her but this time, Katara holds his hand firmly in hers and slaps him back. And when he moves to hit her again, she surprises herself by bending him into submission. This is indeed a strange ability but Katara isn't complaining. "Fuck you, piece of shit," she says as she subdues him. "I'm going to murder you, just like I did that low life, Hiroshi, and you will die in an even more painful way," she announces as she knocks him unconscious and ties him up.

When the man wakes, he finds himself leaning against the chair in front of the dresser. He can see his bloodshot eyes and the bruises on his neck and face. He looks unrecognizable and he doesn't like the sound of this. There is a noise to his left and he tries to turn but is unable to. His forehead has been frozen into place. She moves to him, and now he can see her. There is a sick look on her face, a pleasured look and a touch of madness in her eyes.

"You are a sorry low life," she says and runs her knife down the side of his face. He winces but she doesn't stop. "I think you will rot in hell," she announces and slaps him. He is crying now and there is a warm wetness on his leg and he realizes that it is urine. "Die you son of a bitch," she says as she continues cutting him. It takes her an hour before she is ready, such that when he begs of her to kill him for the umpteenth time, she does.

And that, is how she becomes a monster.

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**A/N: may i have at least 10 reviews? **

**dark, dark stuff. think happy thoughts, HAPPY THOUGHTS. please review! and i'm so sorry about the rating change!**


	5. Chapter 5

In the heart of the South Eastern Earth Kingdom city of Geylang, there is a brothel, in it is a prostitute of strong character. Katara is the kind of woman you would go to if you needed help to resolve a problem.

She furrows her brow as she sits on a wooden bench within the living quarters of her home, taking in a swig of bourbon. It's way too early to be drinking something of such potency but the young waterbender has never been one to care. She studies some confidential documents she had obtained from one of the corrupted members of the Fire Nation secret service.

The woman who gave them to her, Qian, is her only female patron. Katara thinks about the sex they have. It is mildly pleasurable and a little too intense for her liking, not exactly her cup of tea. Yet Katara is more than willing to do it if it means getting her hands on these important papers. She takes another swig of bourbon and wonders about Admiral Zhao, the man who is in charge of raping this town. The bastard, killing him will be her ultimate prize.

A measured and careful expression forms on Katara's features as she stands from her seat and heads down the street. There is a small space a few houses away that she has rented with the little cash she makes from her nightly customers. Mammy has also had a hand in the payment for the use of this place. It was tricky business, transporting two bodies through town, but the dark has been an ally.

A part of Katara feels remorse about what has happened to her last client but doesn't make an effort to recognize it. It was either him or her. Death was inevitable, if she didn't kill him, he would have killed her. Katara closes her eyes for a moment as she wonders about the repercussions of her actions. They might be a group of police officers visiting her anytime soon. Though, Katara has a pretty ingenious (and very challenging) modus operandi.

Bloodbending is something completely and utterly unexpected, but Katara isn't complaining. Because of her new gift, she managed to bring the two men through the city without raising suspicion. Indeed, she had go use the carriage Mammy has for ferrying some of her more important customers, but boy was it effective. With them in the vehicle, all she had to do was make them poke their heads out of the carriage a few times to appear alive. Concealing their injuries was difficult but with makeup and a little skill, she managed.

She takes a deep breath before she enters the room. The bodies have started to decay and look a little worse than disgusting. The makeup has come off and they are lying on their backs, their eyes still open and their jaws slack. Without the makeup and without her bloodbending they look awful. She sighs audibly as she begins her work. Retrieving a knife from the bag she has carried, she begins her hideous task- dismembering the bodies.

She begins with the captain, clumsily cutting his head off. The blood spills everywhere and seems a little like paint. She can feel her stomach churning as she takes the bourbon she had brought with her and downs more than a shot's worth. It will take more than that to settle her nerves. She wishes to be strong when facing the men who hurt her but she isn't a beast, doing this is difficult for her too.

She hates the man but there is still a thread of sanity between her ears and she feels sick at the thought of cutting up the man. But then again, the captain was an animal, hurting her on more than one occasion. The thought makes her blood boil as she works on his arm.

She takes exactly two hours to cut up Hiroshi's corpse into six pieces. Placing them in separate bags, she begins on her second victim. Stripping the old bastard bare, she can see every bit of him, his hunchback, the fingers that burned her, the penis that went into her and the tongue that spewed insults. Her stomach churns at the sight of his bruised and bloodied body as she takes another swig of bourbon to dull the horror of it all.

She isn't crazy but she sure as hell is an angry woman. This time, she knows the anatomy of the human body with more detail and manages to beat the time of her previous attempt and finishes in an hour. Placing all the body parts of Ming's corpse into gunny sacks and tying each one up, she begins her plan of disposal.

The Water Tribe native makes several trips to and from Mammy's carriage as she brings the body parts to several different locations all around town and into the forests.

She feeds the torsos of the two men to wolfdogs on the edge of the city and then proceeds to throw their heads into the river. Some of the body parts are buried and others cremated. But, in her opinion, the most effective way of settling the issues of their remains is to cook up a curry and offer it to her customers.

They eat it with gladness and satisfaction and she is relieved that no one discovers their secret origins. When Mammy pulls her to one corner and queries about the bodies of her victims, she simply shrugs and tells her that she has 'taken care' of them.

The older woman seems suspicious but doesn't comment on her response and neither does she. All Katara knows, all she is aware of, is that she will not stop her hunt as long as the Fire Nation continues to plunder the world.

Zuko

X

I sit on my bed as the Sergeants light the torches and candles in the room. It is a little dim, and a lot depressing. With the event to take place tomorrow, we will become full-fledged military police personnel. I think about the pass months and the way I have grown both physically and mentally. My body is far more muscled than it was. I have become fitter, my stamina has improved but the change I am most proud of is the fact that I have become more mature.

With the classes taught at camp, I have become a more critical thinker, a more alert mind and I take things a little less lightly. I pick up a rag and begin to polish my boots. We are meant to be looking our best tomorrow, our uniforms have to be in tiptop condition, our hair has to be neat and we have to be perfect (the closest we can get anyway). In the soft light of the lit torches, I catch a glance of the picture I have of Mai and myself.

Pausing a moment, I allow my gaze to linger on her features, the way her smile is gentle and demure, how she is so elegant and so beautiful. She has been the sole reason for my persistence and determination to get through this hellhole. As I look at her and myself in the picture, I cannot help but smile. She is truly a blessing to me, and I am grateful I could be hers, even for only a brief moment. I close my eyes but the image of my lover has bore into the back of my eyelids.

Being crown prince of the Fire Nation didn't make being a recruit in the Fire Nation Military any easier. In fact, the officers and drill sergeants often roar and scream abuses directed at me and only me. They mock my royalty status and the fact that all the people I love have died, blaming their deaths on me. I even got into a fight against one of the Sergeants when he brought up the death of Mai. I was arrested and confined for two weeks. The Major in charge of the camp I was at, a very kind and understanding man, explained to me the way in which the military works.

Trainers will mock the recruits to evoke more determination and conviction, even though sometimes they can be more than a little harsh. I am grateful that the Major took that Sergeant to task and dealt with him severely, stripping him of his rank and making him sleep in the cooler. But that didn't heal the wounds in me completely, for Mai's memory was insulted and for that I will never, ever forgive that bastard.

"Hey Zuko," Kenza, one of my bunkmates, a short man, with bright golden eyes, says as he approaches. He has been the clown amongst us, cracking jokes and imitating the officers when they aren't looking. "What's on your mind?" he queries as he moves to me and takes the picture which I had been looking at just moments ago. Before I can protest, the man's expression has become grave and serious, something that is most out of the ordinary.

"She's the reason you're here huh?" he says thoughtfully. I smile tightly at the other man who smiles in return and places the thing back on my nightstand. "I can see how much you love her," he whispers and then perks up again, his quiet demeanor dissipating. "Let's get through tonight and then tomorrow, we celebrate!" he brings some warmth into my heart as I think over the exchange.

Indeed, Mai is everything that makes living life a little less of a challenge, I am here for a reason, and as I clean my boots, I light a candle I have brought from home. I'm sure it isn't allowed, I'm sure that I could be punished but for just for one night here, I want to be engulfed by the sweet scent of our candles.

X

The morning begins at night. It is still dark when the officers and sergeants rouse us from our sleep. It is time for our 24-kilometer route march, a Passing out Parade tradition. The other men of the platoon are sleepy but more than excited for the march to begin. It will take us hours but by the time we reach our destination, it will all be well worth it. Families and friends of every one of us will be there.

The thought makes my heart sink to the pit of my stomach.

There will be no family of mine there. They are all dead and my only living relative, Azula is locked up in a mental institute. My girlfriend is dead, my parents are and so is my uncle. How can a man's life be riddled with death with him not being dead himself? I swallow hard and wonder if being alive is my fortune or otherwise.

After we have freshened up and donned our uniform, the Sergeant have us stand in a squad, he gives the command for us to stand at attention and salute the man who is the head of this camp. He is a senior officer, a veteran and someone who has earned my respect.

"Men, it's been an honour," the Major in charge says in his deepest voice. "You have grown and become more of a man than you were before this journey," he announces. "It is my pleasure to have you in my camp. I know you all will be an asset to the Fire Nation military. Take care sons, see you all on the other side." He finishes and there is a glint in his eyes as he presses his closed fist to the base of his open palm, bowing slightly, the ultimate sign of respect.

The Passing out Parade held at the Stadium Merdeka, sees a large and rowdy crowd. It is my fortune that my identity has been kept confidential from those outside the military. There are reporters and news people but I'm glad that they are only here to cover the event and not my appearance in it. I look through the crowd and seek a face I know… any face I know.

And then, I see a familiar face, a welcomed face. Master Hisaishi, my firebending sensei, is sitting amongst the waving mass of people. I cannot make out his features but I know he must be proud. When the parade is over and we are awarded Red Barrettes to represent our becoming of Military Police Guards, I decide that this day, is my happiest since she died.

X

_It is Zuko's twentieth and Mai has something in store for her man. She enters the prince's bedroom in his family's beach house on Ember Island and kisses him as he sleeps. They are on a break, the recent anniversary of the death of his parents have brought his spirits down. And today, he is trying to turn the memory out of his system._

_As she presses her lips to those of her boyfriend's she can feel them responding. It is a slow reply to her actions but she isn't complaining. Gently he kisses her back. They part ways as his eyes open and a silly smirk is plastered on his face. _

"_Good morning," he says sleepily and yawns. She chuckles softly and is silenced by his lips on hers. He is very loving, very gentle as his mouth moves over hers. She takes a moment to enjoy the way he melts in her embrace. Quicker than they had expected, Mai is pulled to straddle the prince as he gazes up at her. _

"_Not now," she tells him and pecks him on his lips. He responds by turning her on her back and kissing her more persistently. She laughs against his mouth and pushes him away gently. The young man rights his position and shoots her a pout. She smiles at his childish antics kisses him chastely. _

"_Later, I promise," she tells him effectively making him grin. "I wanted to give this present to you," she says and passes him a wrapped gift. The young man takes hold of it, inspecting it for any faults, he begins tearing at the packaging to reveal a cheap brush and some ink that is equally cheap. _

_It is a prank but the man doesn't know this. He beams at his lover and thanks her profusely. Mai is surprised by this. _He has been raised well, not to take things for granted,_ she thinks as he hugs her, giving her a loving peck on the cheek._

"_Here's your real present, you passed the test," she jokes and passes him a box. He opens it and inside, there is a picture of him, his face is chiseled and handsome. He glances at the signature at the bottom of the page and sees the character to her name. _"I_ swear I will always love you," her smile is so bright he cannot look away._

"_I love you too," he tells her and touches her hair. "More than you understand," he says. Something they don't know, something so tragic is the fact that this day is the last birthday they will spend together._

* * *

**A/N: REVIEW PEOPLE! 10 AT LEAST PLEASE?**

**Review people! Stadium Merdeka is a stadium in Singapore's neighboring country Malaysia. Merdeka means independence. Stadium Merdeka was where thousands of Malaysians gathered for the transfer of soverignty of Malaysia from the British to the Malaysian government. also, the 24-kilometre route march is practiced by the Basic Military Training recruits in Singapore as they enter the venue where they will have their Passing out Parade. yes, i have my a slight obsession with the pomp and circumstance of uniformed processions (uniformed: police force, armed forces, civil defense, etc.)**

**in fact, i actually applied to join the police force! AND my brother, father and grandfather were all from the military. my grandfather actually fought in WWII and my father was a regular in the republic of singapore air force, in fact, i served as a staff sergeant in my secondary school's military band. oh and the red barrette is awarded to the singapore armed forces commandos. so yeah. lol i'm rambling sorry... YEAP, REVIEW PEOPLE! ALSO, THANK YOU TO JUST A CRAZY-MAN FOR HIS IDEA ON ASSASSIN KATARA AND BABYVFAN FOR HER INPUT.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Ten years later…**

Zuko

X

The first case I ever worked on involved five victims, three were high ranking military personnel and the other two were tycoons who had investments in the Earth Kingdom. They were men and women of influence and had contributed greatly to the Fire Nation. Their assailants, did not make effort to rid the bodies.

The victims were shot down by arrows which had their heads dipped in a poison made from the sap of Poison Stigma. Poison Stigma is a kind of plant that forms toxic sap that can be deadly even when administered in small amounts. It has long been used to assassinate people of political authority and is native to the Earth Kingdom.

During the time, I was just a young lieutenant, at twenty and had not yet ascended the throne. I worked under the hand of a woman, Captain Sui who had nothing less than an iron fist and a hunger for justice. She had worked hard on the case and sought the men and women who were responsible for the deaths of these Fire Nation citizens. After months of work and investigating every murder that was reported to the local police, we managed to classify these five incidences under an umbrella.

It was then that it became painfully obvious that these five murders, dubbed by the press as the 'Stigma Executions', were linked to each other. Two other slayings, the murder of retired Captain Hiroshi and oil Tycoon Ming Wei, were initially linked to the same culprits. This was despite the fact that the modus operandi differed. After intensive work, these two cases were dismissed when investigations came out empty.

While examining the 'Stigma Executions', a particular religion was singled out. Tu Di Zhong is an olden Earth Kingdom belief which name translates to 'Earth Loyalty'. The religion, created based on the writings of an ancient rebel, Li Jin, as he lay in prison, is now one of near obsolete beliefs in the Earth Kingdom.

It preaches the fight for freedom from oppression, promotes violent actions against those that harm nature and worships Li Jin. It was once a rising belief, capturing enough people for it to be acknowledged by the Earth King at the time in his yearly address.

Although, about five hundred years ago, after the monarch legalized the deforestation practice of 'slash and burn', the palace was attacked. The attempt at the assassination of the King of the Earth Nation caused Tu Di Zhong to be condemned and it's believers put to death. More than a thousand people were slaughtered.

However, it was rumored, although not confirmed, that the religion had survived its tribulation and had in fact begun to recruit others. We offered rewards and encouraged anyone with information on these murders to come forward. We guaranteed their safety and assured them that they were doing the right thing. No one came to claim the reward. It wasn't until months later, when the case was nearly put in cold storage, while I was looking through Mai's case files, that I found a link between her murders and theirs.

As it always is, the pain that ensued when I read those papers was nearly paralyzing. That was when I chanced over a particular verse in the document that brought my attention to the lead physician's report. It stated that the arrow that shot Mai down was laced with Poison Stigma sap, something that was consistent with those that shot the five Fire Nation citizens. I brought this up to my superior and a whole new world of evidence was brought forward.

The growing of Poison Stigma is prohibited in parts of the Earth Kingdom where the Fire Nation has conquered. But there are a few places, where the plant grows wild. They sit atop the mountains in the countryside, which are only accessible to the shepherds in the area. This narrowed down the suspects to a select few. Sui tasked exactly twenty men, with me as the officer-in-charge, to raid the homes of the ten listed families of that profession.

In two out of these ten homes, hidden ornaments, representing Tu Di Zhong, which were a little over five centimeters high, had been discovered and seized. Members of both families were questioned and put on trial. The evidence brought forward was so strong that six members of each home were executed. I pitied them but was too busy celebrating the fact that the bastards responsible for Mai's death had been executed.

And, as time progressed, I did feel a little pang for the people whose lives became desolate after the trails resulted in death. But, with the criminals related to Mai's death, sent to Hell, with a badge of honor on my chest and a raise in the ranks on my shoulders, I was contented. Suddenly, their sufferings didn't seem to matter anymore.

I sit in my makeshift office located in the heart of the latest district occupied by the Fire Nation and ponder over the case that brought me military success. I wonder, I wonder if what I have done is right, as I stare down at new pictures, new cases of murder and a lone painting of a blind dragon being rode by Li Jin. The piece of paper was pinned to the door by an arrow which bore Poison Stigma sap. The words bellow are threatening-_ your move Colonel. _That is all it takes for me to rage.

X

I have heard much about the recruits of Squad Inferno. The men, young as they are, ranging from the ages of sixteen to eighteen, are the latest trainees under the Fire Nation Military's commando program. I walk through the camp and nod at the soldiers who greet me with respect. Despite being Fire Lord for nine years and a military officer for ten, I am not accustomed to the pomp and circumstance that comes with these positions. The prestige of these posts has never appealed to me, but the honor, is what keeps me coming back for more.

I walk towards the training site of Squad Inferno. After hearing praises for these men, I have come to see the trainees that all my senior soldiers are buzzing about. It's said that Squad Inferno is the most potent set of recruits since Sozin's time. I have my doubts about this, after all, the Fire Nation Military under the hand of Sozin was strong enough to wipe out an entire nation. For a section to be compared to the legendary military force of yesteryear makes me slightly skeptical.

"Attention!" the sergeant shouts as the men shift from a firebending stance to one that is rigid and firm. "Manners!" he announces and the men greet me.

"Good morning Colonel!" they say in unison and I nod at them. _Well, they can certainly shout loudly_, I think as I observe them.

"At ease men," I say and they shift positions again, such that their hands are now behind their backs and their feet apart. I weave my way through the group of men, inspecting their uniforms, their facial expressions, the way their arms are placed. All I see is a group of boys that are probably inspired by Love Amongst the Dragons and think the war is a game of romance. I don't know what my men were talking about when they sang praises for these _boys _but I sure as Hell am not seeing it.

I spot a stain on the shoes of one of the boys and bend down to touch it.

Paint.

Don't these soldiers know that wet paint is not for touching? I shake my head and casually notice the sergeant's face pale. Above the standards of most recruits in their teens they may be but excellent they are not. I send a stern look at the commander of this squad and call him over.

"Base One," I say softly and the sergeant nods. I want to see how strong in their basics these men are. Base One is the simplest of forms in the training program set by firebending masters for the military. I assume my position in front of the squad and watch as they go through the exercise. My eyes train on every detail, from the distance between their legs to the smoke coming from their mouths. Mildly impressed with their performance I decide to up the tension.

"Base Fifty-eight," I announce and imagine the panic in these boys even though they do not show it. I look on with interest as they spread out and with a shout, blast fire out of their clenched fists. Base Fifty-eight is the most advanced of the military forms and I watch as these soldiers somersault and shoot blow after blow with deadly potency. The fact that their movements are of near perfect synchronization is indeed impressive. Now I can see what everyone is talking about.

For the first time in many moons, a smile spreads on my face. This is indeed a very impressive showcase of excellent firebending. Their precision in wearing the uniform and their foot drills could definitely use some work. However, their abilities at the art of bending is exceptional.

Though there is one… a boy, who looks to be barely old enough to join the military stands out. All of them display exemplary firebending, but he is a cut above the rest. His face is still smooth and his lips… it can't be.

Tom-Tom.

"Stop!" I shout just as they complete the form. "Stop," I breathe and I can feel my heart constricting as I stare at the boy who must be Mai's brother.

"You… it can't be," I say as I stare into the face of the boy I once knew. "Mai…"

"Fire Lord," he says after pausing slightly and that is enough to stop my heart.

"Tom-Tom," I whisper as I back away from him. Have I imagined the entire thing? Have I gone completely mad? Am I missing Mai so much that I cannot even have a moment of sanity?

"At ease men," I say as I try to calm my heart. "What is your name?" I ask the boy and after a moment of silence, he looks at me.

"Recruit Tom-Tom, Sir" he tells me, even though he doesn't meet my gaze. "Son of Governor Nakanishi and Lady Azoro…" he pauses a moment, weighing the consequences of continuing. "Brother of…"

"Don't," I cannot believe how far I've fallen. In a split second, with just a few words, he has reduced me into a mass of emotion. "Don't say her name," I can barely feel anything but the sensation in my heart. "Just don't," I say as I signal to the sergeant to dismiss the boys.

I move to the main office of the camp and try to regain my composure. I fish out the ring I had bought with the one I gave Mai for her birthday as it hangs from my neck and look at it. It shines in the light as I bring it to my lips. Ten years without Mai, a decade with nothing but the keepsakes I have of her to remember the love of my life by. And now… I have found her brother. I stand from my seat as I realize that the tingling in my heart, the feeling that shot through me, is longing and praise Agni, hope.

Katara

X

I sit at her bedside and watch with notable pain as the only person who ever cared this much for me deteriorates before my eyes. After eight years of being ill, I fear that this might be the very last chance to see her alive.

The lump located in Mammy's breast has proved to be malignant. Initially, when she first discovered it, she was smart enough to go to a physician. The man who saw her spoke with such certainty that the tumor was not harmful to her. He had spoken of how most breast lumps didn't result in anything untoward. Mammy was reluctant to heed his words but she trusted him nonetheless.

And now… she lies on her bed and cannot move more than her head. Bedsores have formed on her hips. She is obviously in pain and her plight is not something to celebrate. It pains us to witness her kind soul break. All her hope, all the faith in the gods that she have been praying to, could not save her from her present condition.

I turn around when I hear a sound coming from the entrance to the room. Tia, a 'sister' of mine comes in with a bowl of soup. She, me, along with the other girls come to Mammy's rooms at least twice daily. We take turns to accompany her. When the spirits are kind, there will be at least two of us and we can manage to lift Mammy into her wheelchair, bring her around and let the pressure be spread to a part of her body other than her hips.

Tia takes a seat beside me and passes me the soup. I move to prop Mammy on some pillows and proceed to feed her. She opens her mouth and receives the soup. But when she tries to swallow the liquid, it comes back up and through her nose. I can feel Tia's heartbreak just as mine does. How can the spirits choose to end the life of the only person who has ever cared about my health and safety, who has been my benefactor and provider for all this time?

"Mammy," I say as I hover over her. Tia moves in position, ready to move her to the wheelchair. "You want to go for a walk?" I ask and wince when she takes great effort to shake her head. "It's good for you," I tell her and a small smile breaks over her features.

"No walk," she says finally and settles into bed. She shuts her eyes, and after watching her for a half hour, we leave her to rest. When I come to feed her breakfast the next morning, her eyes do not open. And that is when I know… she has gone to the land of the saints.

* * *

**A/N: Hey everybody! thanks for reading! please do review! and thank you to Just a Crazy-Man for his input! also special thanks to babyvfan for talking with me so much and writing her story- Alluring Game of Wit and Lips and dedicating it to me (along with some others). this is dedicated to you two! thanks :)**


	7. Chapter 7

In the Intelligence Training Program, he is taught how to expect the unexpected, how not take things for granted, how to be prepared. But despite all the skills taught, despite being mentored by the best in the force, Tom-Tom never expected to see _him_. The boy shuts his eyes as he runs his hand over the ring he took from his sister's body just before she was cremated. He has it on a band around his wrist, it's one of the few keepsakes he has of her.

Their mother, broken as she was, made sure that their home was largely rid of anything that could trigger a painful memory. She had thrown away the paintings in her husband's office, the paper flowers her daughter had given her for Mothers' Day and every piece of clothing Mai had worn.

When the woman lost her child, she lost something else- her sanity. It began with polishing, ridding any shiny surface in their house that might bear Mai's fingerprints. Then she began washing her daughter's sheets and blankets to remove any smell that might linger. And one day, when the things were 'cleansed' of the traces of her firstborn, Lady Azoro had burnt them all.

The Governor had caught her, nearly successful at her attempt to rid the girl's ashes, he had stopped his wife, scolding her fiercely. With pained eyes, he had turned away and hugged the urn to his chest. At the action and thought that there might be a possibility of her lapsing back into the inferno that is heartache, she fought him, hitting him in the chest and finally slamming her fists into the thing. It fell from the Governor's hands, its contents almost splattered on the floor.

Tom-Tom's father's reaction brought the then seven-year-old boy a significant amount of pity for it bore a parent's despair and the brokenness of a man who would never see his daughter again. Tom-Tom had made special efforts to conceal the ring that he had taken from Mai's corpse when he had the chance.

As a child, he had adored his sister, she was everything he looked up to. He remembers playing with her stilettos when he thought she wasn't looking. But she obviously was because the next time he wanted to play with them, they would be relocated and he would have to seek them all over again.

On the night of her passing, he had grown hungry. It was in the middle of the night and Mai was the only other person in the house that was awake. Well, there were the guards and the housekeeper but he had always shied away from their staff. Mai was his sister and he found that he could always rely on her.

_Jie,_ he remembers the word that came upon his lips that fateful night and regrets it. _I'm hungry_, the young military trainee will always remember the words that indirectly sealed his sister's fate. He remembers that her usually stern features morphed into one of great love and kindness, as she stared down at him. The look on her face, the one of undoubted patience will forever haunt his dreams.

_Go to the kitchen, I'll get you some fire flakes,_ her tone was dull and monotonous as it is most of the time but there was a touch of love in the words that seemed so simple. On hindsight, he should have just settled for the cereal, he should not have been that much of a pain, but he was immature, something that in his mind, still doesn't justify his petulance.

_I want dumplings,_ the words were plain and yet so demanding. He wanted something that their home did not have. Normally when he made such requests, he would receive 'no' as the answer, but that night, his sister was in a much more patient mood than most and had ventured out to buy his food.

The news came to their family very suddenly, the police sent a rookie who knocked on the door slightly too hard for it to be deemed auspicious. Tom-Tom was there when the guard on the first floor, received the news.

_Are the Governor and his wife awake?_ When the guard had answered with a 'no', the man continued. _I was told to pass the message that their daughter is dead,_ Tom-Tom will never, ever get over the nonchalance in the man's voice. He will never forget the way he delivered the news that forced his childhood to a sudden halt. He vowed never to consume dumplings ever again, a promise he has kept for a decade.

The young man thinks about the injustice that makes his mind whirl. He never understood how a man who was rewarded in every way by the Fire Nation, could become loyal to a religion that was their enemy. Till now, the young man cannot comprehend the betrayal.

And then there is Zuko. At such a tender age, an age where forgiveness is second nature and malice does not surface on the agenda, Tom-Tom had felt bad for his sister's boyfriend. When he witnessed his father push the man to the ground on the day the funeral was to be held, he had wondered why his father was so angry. Zuko was in every way a good boyfriend, loving and loyal. Yet, there was nothing that could reconcile that fact that the then prince was bad luck… is probably still bad luck.

It had be taught and then reiterated to him that Mai's plight was due to the prince's in-auspiciousness and the fact that he was a jinx, who had brought much suffering and pain to his family and theirs. As a child, he had believed them and kept his distance, even though the young man had gone to see him at the Fire Nation school in Omashu.

It was difficult for Tom-Tom to deny the prince. After all, it was true that Zuko had a hand in raising him, cleaning him when he wet himself, feeding him when he was hungry and even washing him when he was dirty. Tom-Tom adored Zuko but he listened to his parents words and avoided the man who was meant to become his brother-in-law. When his parents got word from Tom-Tom's teachers that the prince was seeking their son out almost every afternoon, his father had made the radical decision to move the family and resign from his post in the parliament.

They didn't leave word on the location they had moved to.

Finally when Tom-Tom found within himself the rebellious nature he had been suppressing, he decided to run away from home. That day his father had caught him with a hooker he had met at the brothel in the city they were living in, and had attacked him, locking him in his room and refusing to listen to reason.

Tom-Tom, having channeled his anger at the bastard who killed his sister into doing obstacle courses, was far more apt than many. Thus he found a way to climb down the pipes beside his window, running away from home and never looking back.

When he had no more money and was tired and a little more than desperate for his next meal, he joined a moving circles and trained as an acrobat, quitting a year later when he was fitter and of age to join the military. They placed him under training in the elite unit. When asked which part of the military he hoped to join, he had said the commando arm of the military police. He had looked forward to being a full fledge military police personnel but now, as he stands at ease, ready to receive his Red Barrette, he finds a slight reluctance to join the force.

"Recruit Tom-Tom, appointed the position of Junior Investigating Constable in the Royal Military Police, with the rank of Corporal," he doesn't hear it the first time and requires the announcer to repeat herself.

The young man steps forward and finds himself face to face with the man who was his sister's boyfriend. Zuko is in full military regalia and looks more impressive than Tom-Tom remembers. Silently he wishes to Agni that he will not start exhibiting any form of hostility to the Fire Lord. He moves forward, presses his fist to his open palm and bows. The man returns the gesture and hands him the Red Barrette along with a kris as is customary for commandos.

Tom- Tom braces himself for anything the Fire Lord might say and is ashamed to admit that he's disappointed when nothing comes from the man's lips. And then a small smile graces Zuko's features as he pats the newly appointed Corporal on the back. Tom-Tom is slightly surprised at this gesture and then he has an epiphany- Zuko is a good man. And now, on this day he recognizes the fact that the best way to honor the memory of his sister is to create new ones with her lover.

Zuko

X

I stand in the South Eastern Earth Kingdom state of Geylang, at the crime scene where the decomposing head of a male victim was discovered. There is no need for any other hypothesis because it is very apparent that the death of this man was a result of foul play. The Military Police physician on duty is inspecting the severed head when I arrive.

The smell is putrid, hideous and makes my stomach churn. As I look at the head, it is apparent that the eyes have been gouged out and the head badly mutilated. Whoever committed this murder must have been livid, vengeful and maybe even a little mad. I shake my head as Tom-Tom comes to stand beside me. The day after his Passing out Parade, he came to see me and had told me that one of the things in his life most difficult to accomplish was the forgiveness of me. I am grateful that he came to the realization that the best way to connect with his sister, is to, as he put it, build memories with me.

"Sir," he says as he ushers me to a location about ten meters away from where the head was discovered. "We found this," he says and gestures to a faded pair of footprints. I am proud of the man who has recently joined my department. He is sharper than many of the veteran officers in the force and I am glad that he is molding well into the job. There are not other pairs of footprints which probably means that it must've been raining or that the culprit was an earthbender who had smoothed the soil, missing out this spot.

"Nice work, let's take a mold and search for any other clues that there might be," I say and move back to the place where I was standing before. Snapping on a pair of gloves I bend down beside the physician and with his permission inspect the fourth victim of murder in this new year, or whatever remains of him anyway. I touch the skull and can feel a dent. I must've been a blunt object that hit his head, and probably knocked him unconscious or killed him. Though I'm not sure.

"Is there any way to identify the victim?" I question and glance at the doctor. Yong looks up at me, as he ponders this over. "Come on, there must be something," I say and stare at him, as my face exudes question.

"The parts of the head where the cheeks were, there are bite marks that can only mean that they were eaten by an animal," the doctor says and scratches his chin. "Maybe if we can find the animal tracks and follow it, we can locate the body of the victim," he says. I don't buy it. The only animal in this area that I know is likely to have eaten the cheeks are winged wolfdogs. Though they are a lot smaller than their non-winged counterparts in the Fire Nation. The creature is barely a meter and a half long. It isn't likely that they severed the head of the victim.

It must be that victim was first beheaded by the perpetrator, who probably scattered the body parts all around the countryside.

"No," I say as I sigh softly and continue with my exploration of the head. "Wait, I think I might have something." As I pry open his mouth, I see silver. Silver teeth… that certainly is curious. Most Fire Nation people have golden eyes. Though there are a few who have grey eyes instead. My sister's lover, Ty Lee has them, and so does Tom-Tom. These people are considered the bearers of the eyes from the Nether World, which are often attributed to reincarnated dragons.

Often, as a means to signify that they were in fact the chosen ones, their parents have silver teeth installed in their mouths. Distantly I wonder and then dismiss the thought that there might be a link between this case and the religion which believers claimed my beloved's life.

"Corporal!" I call Tom-Tom and wait for him. He is by my side in a heartbeat.

"Yes?"

"You have a silver tooth," it isn't a question. When I was younger and Mai and her brother were in the Fire Nation while their parents were abroad, I would often stay over at her house and help her take care of Tom-Tom. That included brushing his teeth. I wasn't surprised that their parents, who are very superstitious, had installed a silver tooth in their son's mouth.

"Yes," he says hesitantly and looks at me confused. "I don't see how…"

"So does he," I say and beckon him to inspect the mouth of the deceased. "Find me any and all records regarding Fire Nation citizens here in the Earth Kingdom with grey eyes and silver teeth. "I think I've found a link."

X

As it turns out, there are only a few people in the Earth Kingdom of Fire Nation decent with silver teeth. Two of them are tycoons who are still alive, one was the deceased retired Captain Hiroshi and the other three are men of military standing, of which one is missing. It doesn't take a genius to figure out what happened to him.

"His name's Tanaka," Tom-Tom says as he hands me the case files. "He's a fairly low ranking officer in the military," says the man as he watches for my reaction. "I did some digging," he tells me as I look up at him. "He was deemed unfit for combat recently after an exchange with some guerillas left his knee busted," he takes in a deep breath.

"According to his men, he had been very depressed and had visited the brothels very often. There's more," he says, effectively gaining my attention. "We know the prostitute he kept patronizing," he states, his tone tells me he is proud of himself even though it is not reflected on his face.

"What's her name?" I ask as a small smile creeps up on his features.

"Tia," he states.

And that… that is the monster I wish to bring to justice.

X

She is standing in the doorway as the madam, who has a shrill voice talks over the din coming from the next room. Some customers can be really noisy and it can be quite sickening. Katara suppresses the urge to roll her eyes. The madam is not a nice lady. Unlike her predecessor, she is a rude and obnoxious bitch with a bastard son. The boy has golden eyes and Katara suspects that he is part Fire Nation, though none of the girls have voiced this theory.

"I'm not finished you slut," the woman's voice booms as she pulls on Tia's hair causing the girl to stop in her tracks and try to struggle free. Katara wants nothing more than to stuff her fist right up the woman's ass and rip out her intestines, but she knows that any and all rebelliousness will be _rewarded _with more trouble.

It has been three months since Mammy passed and this woman, a former prostitute herself has become the new Madam. She had bought the business over from the landlord who actually didn't have the right to sell it. Katara sometimes hates Earth Kingdom people for the greedy bastards that they are.

"Don't struggle," she screeches as she slaps the girl on the face and embeds her fist in her abdomen. "I said, I don't want you to resist me," she announces in the most awful sound imaginable such that when the police come to the door, Katara is almost relieved.

"Good evening," a man with an angry scar and features too severe for his youth says. "Is something happening here?" his voice is warning and although Katara immediately has the urge to question his appetite for justice (or lack thereof) she doesn't. In fact, the waterbender is thanking him silently for his intervention.

"Nothing's the matter Sir," the Madam's voice is dripping with sweetness as she hurriedly releases the young lady's hair from her grasp and hiding a pinch to the girl's back, signals for her to leave. "Have you come for a good time?" she asks and smiles. Katara wishes to wipe that look off her face with a tight slap.

"No," the other man, who looks to be more of a boy, says. This surprises the old woman for she has never seen men who have been able to resist the charms of her girls.

"We are looking for Tia," the scarred man explains. The woman exchanges looks with Katara as she moves to the military policeman's side and grabs his hand, pulling him into her brothel. "We want to see her," he says, instinctively pulling his hand away.

"Come inside, I will explain everything to you," the Madam states and winks at Katara who nods in response. The two men enter as they are promised answers. Zuko and Tom-Tom soon find themselves in a bedroom with pictures of nude women plastered all over the walls. They watch with a little alarm and for Tom-Tom only, a little arousal as the lady in blue removes her clothes, revealing a pair of plump breasts and a most tempting body.

"My name," she begins, "is Katara."

* * *

**A/N: review people! so they meet! WOOTS! lol a kris is a kind of dagger often found in south east asia. 'jie' is a salutation to an elder sister in mandarin.**


	8. Chapter 8

She begins with her outer tunic, pulling it over her head and off her form. Katara inhales sharply as her dark skin comes into contact with the chill. She is distantly aware, and slightly sheepish about the erection of her nipples under the thin fabric of her undergarments. The shame in being a tool for the pleasures of men has never left her as she continues to feel disgusted with herself. With slight hesitance, she slowly unwinds the bindings around her chest.

The waterbender watches the faces of the men before her. The younger one, who looks a little older than fifteen, has a kind of graveness to his features such that she almost pities him. Someone so young should never have to go through anything so depressing. She notices a deep blush on the boy's cheeks as he tries not to look at her near naked form. Inwardly, she surprises and embarrasses herself by being oddly pleased that she, at the age of twenty-eight can make a boy who must be more than a decade younger herself aroused.

When her breasts are fully exposed, she glances at the older of the men. The first thing she notices is the scar on his face. She thinks that it must've been a training accident, a very painful one. His skin is pale, and apart from the marred flesh, is unblemished. He is handsome, more so than any man she has serviced.

He seems mysterious in a way, a little unreadable, but what she can tell is that he is less interested in her than any man she has slept with. His eyes flick up to meet hers. She is taken aback slightly, by the gold of his eyes and the shear intimidation on his features.

"My name is Katara," she says as she tries to keep calm but regrets her words immediately even though she doesn't show it. She has never revealed her real identity to any of her customers. The relationship she has with men pertains to one purpose and one purpose only- fucking. The older of the two men stands and she instinctively steps back. She knows that the Madam wants her to service these men but she has had so many inconsiderate and violent men in her time that she instinctively thinks of them as dogs.

Although, there is something different about the man standing before her, he doesn't even glance at her privates. Instead, she watches as he removes the thick fur coat of his uniform and drapes it over her form. The action is unexpected and Katara simply stands in position as he leaves the room, his subordinate following closely behind, leaving her to feel the rare comfort of kindness.

Zuko

X

The picture of a woman's naked body used to do me wonders. I remember the first time I ever laid my eyes on Mai's breasts, the soft of her stomach and what was between her legs. I remember my erection, the need I felt to pump in and out of her mercilessly, the near feral longing to be take her. I remember the amount of restraint I had to exercise while making love to her. Pleasure to me, was as much giving as it was receiving.

The sight of Katara wearing nothing covering her body does nothing to excite me. Although, I must admit that it evokes many memories of my beloved. I haven't seen a woman's private regions for a more than a decade and I had almost forgotten what the naked flesh of a female looks like. Beside me, I note the lust in Tom-Tom's eyes, the way they trace her form, the way he swallows hard and blushes deeply. _Boys will be boys, _I think as I shake my head inwardly.

And then, there is a distinct amount of anger in my bones as I think of the way in which people see women of her standing. It is sad to say that most of their customers are from the Fire Nation Army. The thing that upsets me most is the way I know they must treat them under the covers.

As a military man, I know how sexually depraved some soldiers can be, especially while being away from their wives or husbands for extended periods. There have been several cases of rape and mutilation committed by our soldiers on civilian women. Under my father's rule, they were never dealt with, but I am different and anyone caught defiling any woman will pay, but catching them is difficult as they prove evasive.

The way she is seen is unacceptable. Katara is not a piece of meat; she is a person, one who deserves to be looked upon with respect. What she does to make money is simply a job and does in no way represent her personality or her worth. Yet, I do not blame Tom-Tom for his lust. He is merely exhibiting what most men would, given the right circumstances or any circumstance concerning a woman's bare breasts for that matter.

For some reason, the way her hands shake as she removes her clothing, the way her breath falters when the cold hits her body, I cannot help but feel an unreasonable amount of pity for her. Maybe it's the love I have for my mother, maybe it's the love I have for Mai, either way, I simply cannot accept the degrading of a woman. So I stand and she recoils slightly, this woman must have scars as deep as her soul. I removing my jacket, and do what any gentleman would and drape it over her.

"I will speak with Tia," I announce as I head out of the room. The Madam's face says it all as I read her surprise and displeasure at the fact I did not take her bait. "Where is she?" I ask, my tone is displeased and every bit reflective of my state of mind. I don't have time to play. A man is dead and many more may be at risk. "I said… Where is she?" my voice does not falter, it comes out strong, fierce and threatening. I have no time for games, I will see her. She may be the missing piece in the puzzle, the woman who killed Tanaka and, Agni forbid, Hiroshi and Ming Wei.

"Get her." Tom-Tom says, the blush on his face no longer apparent. The Madam tilts her head at her girls who go into one of the rooms.

"Can I you get you anything officers?" her voice is horribly sweet. She makes me sick.

"Madam," the woman whose voice comes to my ears must be the monster responsible for Tanaka's death. I have always wondered what kind of person was behind the senseless slayings of the retired Captain and the tycoon, and most recently Tanaka. What kind of maniacal psychopath would do something so awful. I shut my eyes as I bask in fading innocence of not knowing how a monster looks like. And then… I turn around.

She is no older than Tom-Tom, probably fifteen, sixteen at most. A deep sense of disappointment fills me. I thought I had the culprit, I thought we had caught her. Yet she is too young, she is nothing but a teenager, no older than the Corporal standing beside me. She cannot be the one who murdered Hiroshi and Ming Wei, those two deaths took place when she was still a child. That however, doesn't stop me from believing that she is the murderer of Tanaka. I nod at Tom-Tom who returns the gesture as he approaches the suspect.

"By the authority vested in me by the Fire Lord, may Agni bless him, I am placing you under arrest," he says as he takes the handcuffs hanging from the belt around his waist. "Do not resist. Any and all attempts at opposing apprehension will be met with due punishment and heavy consequences that will be administered by the officer executing the arrest." I am fairly impressed at his memory.

"During the course of the investigation, you must answer any and all questions directed to you pertaining to the case, any hindrance to the investigation will be met with grave penalty," he finishes. The girl looks up at me as tears form in her eyes, even though she doesn't do anything to keep from being brought into custody. I could be wrong but this just further proves her guilt.

From the corner of my eye I see the woman named Katara and make full eye contact with her. Her expression is stoic, unfeeling, nonchalant. I tilt my head, a habit I have acquired after years of being in the force. There is no conflict, no pain and I can feel my suspicions growing. Through many cases of rape of prostitutes, I have visited many brothels, I have seen the camaraderie amongst the girls. They love each other, a universal fact. Yet, Katara does not look at all disturbed. The other girls are pleading with Tom-Tom, asking him to release their sister, only Katara does nothing to save the girl.

"Wait," I say and step forward. "I'm going to give you one final chance," I tell Tia who doesn't look directly at me. "Did you kill Tanaka?" she pauses a moment, and then she meets my gaze. Her expression changes to one of sincerity as she nods.

"Yes," she says. "I did."

Nothing else needs to be said

X

"_I will do it," she says and receives immediate disapproval. Tia searches her sister's face for a sign, any sign of agreement to her plan. "He raped me," she tells Katara as she closes her hand around the fabric of her collar. "And he would have raped you and all of the others if he had the chance."_

"_Tia," Katara is staring into the girl's eyes so intently, she is certain she is looking into Tia's very soul. "You're only sixteen, you have a whole future ahead of you," she says and shakes her head. "Don't do anything stupid," there is caution in her voice as she takes the knife in the girl's hand._

"_You've done it too," she says. There is conviction in her tone, certainty and Katara's face pales. How does this girl know about her misdeeds? How does the youth know about the dark side of Katara of the Southern Water Tribe? "I followed you," Tia says, there is pleading in her eyes as she tries to convince Katara to let her do the unforgivable. "I know what you do Katara," she says._

"_Then you know not to do it," Katara answers as she shakes her head. "I am at risk child, at any given moment, the police will storm in a arrest me," she tells the girl and places the knife on the ground. "I had no choice, those men… they were going to kill me," she says even though she knows that this is not true. Of all the cases of murder pertaining to Katara, she has always, ALWAYS had the option of letting them live, but then, they were Fire Nation scum, beasts who plundered the land and realized Sozin's demented dream of uniting the world in fire._

"_He might as well have killed _me_," Tia's voice reflects the madness of her mind. "You don't understand Katara, he _raped _me," she says, stressing the word. "I know why you kill them." she states and Katara's face morphs into one of alarm. "Don't worry I won't tell anyone," Katara grabs hold of Tia's hands as she sees them shake. _

"_How do you…"_

"_I heard you talking to Mammy just before she died," she admits and looks into her hands. "You have plans to kill all of them don't you? I can help. I…"_

"_You are too young to kill anyone. Just stay here,"_

"_And do what? Get raped every night?" she shakes her head. "I'm through with that! I don't want to live my life solely to please men," she announces and takes the knife into her hand. "Tanaka will be good practice." There is a sound, and Tanaka's voice is heard. _

"_Tia! Wait," Katara shouts as the girl hides her knife and runs out of the room. _

_An hour later, Katara hears a scream and rushes into the chambers of her friend._

_The man lies dead on the floor in a pool of his own blood as Tia shakes in a corner._

"_What have you done," Katara says as she moves to feel the man's pulse… it isn't there. The girl is a mess, half-naked and trembling in a corner. Tia is not like Katara, she is a soft spirit, weak almost, and that's what made Katara disagree with her decision to murder the man who raped her. "Come on," she coos, and stands the girl up. "I will handle it," she says as she gets to work. It takes her less than six hours to finish what Tia has started._

Katara

X

It may be hard to believe but I am the person most pained by the arrest of my friend. It took all my will power not to cry and scream and shout. It took all my energy not to protest. But I see the bigger picture. My goal, since I first drew blood, is to kill the Fire Nation scum who have plundered our land and raped our women.

If I had shown any signs of protection over Tia, if I had acted on my first instinct to take her place, the plan I've had for so long will go to waste. I couldn't and cannot afford to allow that.

Zhao remains high up on my list. I will kill him, but first, I must kill the men around him and all bastards who think it is their right to hurt us. We may be prostitutes but we are also people, we have lives, we have feelings.

I enter my room, sit on the corner of my bed and close my eyes. What have I done? I have allowed my best friend, a girl of merely sixteen years, to go alone to the prison where she may never escape alive.

There is a distinct heaviness on my back as I feel the weight of the coat. The officer has left his clothing with me. A distant sense of gratefulness tugs at my heart as I pull it off my form. The fire is lit and the room is warm enough as I look at the back of the coat where there is a name. Whoever he is, there is no doubt in my mind that we will meet again. I am ashamed at the smile that creep up on my features as I read his name.

"See you soon, Colonel Zuko."

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**A/N: Hey people! review! i would like to thank avatarspiriaangkorra for being such a great friend. and also babyvfan, Harky21 and Just a Crazy-man for their contributions. thanks :) i am grateful for friends like you :)**


	9. Chapter 9

Zuko

X

By the time, we return to camp, it is dark. I glance at Tia whose hands are cuffed behind her back as Tom-Tom holds her and helps her from the ostrich horse they shared. If things were different, under other circumstances, they would make a great couple. The way he handles her, the way he makes sure she dismounts the animal properly, safely, is reminiscent of a chivalrous young gentleman with a lady. They are about the same age; probably mere months apart yet their lives are radically different.

I look away when Tom-Tom sees me staring.

They follow me into one of the camp's investigation rooms, where two men stand guard outside. The boy sits her on a chair at the table. Maybe I am imagining it, maybe not, but there is a kind of reluctance on his part as they part ways. I am barely able to hide my intrigue at the blush that colors his cheeks. When he catches my barely suppressible expression his blush intensifies and he clears his throat loudly. Glancing at me for approval that he might proceed with the interrogation, I nod.

"Please state your full name for the record," Tom-Tom says and takes out a brush, some ink and a small stack of papers, bound together to form a book of sorts.

"My name… it's Tia Tanling," she says and looks down. There is an uncomfortable pause as he tries to figure out what he should say next, his unfamiliarity reflected in his silence. This gives me the perfect opportunity to observe the suspect. She is pretty, with soft, flawless skin and green eyes, her hair is pleated loosely as bangs frame her face. The girl is slim, dainty as she carries an air of uncertainty about herself. There is an expression of discomfort on her features. I'm guessing that she isn't very at ease at having her arms stuck behind her back.

"Are they hurting you?" my tone is scarcely cordial, and not amused, though it isn't hostile. She looks up at me and meets my gaze shortly before glancing away. She doesn't answer. "The cuffs… are they hurting you?" I reiterate, this time with less patience and watch as she looks up, a timid expression playing on her features as she nods. I turn to Tom-Tom. "Release her," I say. This is not protocol, certainly, this is against the rules, but frankly, I don't give a damn. I figure if we want her to cooperate, we had better start treating her like a person, though, if convicted, she will be severely punished.

"Why did you do it?" I ask as Tom-Tom does away with the cuffs around her wrists. When they come from behind her, I note the slight redness on her skin.

"I…" she begins, there is trepidation in her tone, almost as if she is pondering whether she should indeed tell me the truth. "He raped me," she says. I glance at the Corporal seated next to me. There is surprise in his eyes, followed by more than a little pity for the girl. "The first time it happened, I was just fifteen, a few days away from my sixteenth birthday," the tale obviously hurts her but it is apparent that the girl wants to share the story of what I imagine is horror. "He was very nice at first, buying me gifts and showering me with what I thought was love."

"The first time we…" she pauses and looks at the both of us. Her face reddens considerably.

"You can tell us," Tom-Tom urges. The tenderness in his voice is unmistakable as I toy with the idea that there might indeed be something called 'love at first sight'. I distantly consider that it might not all be bogus and liken his gaze to one I bore when I first met Mai.

Glancing at him, she continues, her cheeks flushing a deeper shade. "When he… when we first did _it… _he was very gentle, very tender. He kept telling me that everything was going to be all right," the tears that she has so persistently held begin to fall. "He always told me that he loved me, and I believed him. Slowly as his visits grew frequent, as he treated me with what I thought was love and kindness, I began to see him in a better light, as more of a partner than a customer," at her confession, Tom-Tom shifts in his seat, uncomfortable.

"Did you love him?" the boy blurts out, glancing at me as if he's committed a sin. She pauses a moment, as I imagine, she notices the blush on the young man's cheeks. Contemplating the answer, she continues.

"No, I didn't. I just thought that he wasn't that bad of a person," she responds and Tom-Tom visibly relaxes.

"What happened next?" I ask and she closes her eyes, as if she cannot bare the pain.

"He… began to demand rougher sex, to which I complied, although hesitantly. The first time he carried out his fantasy, it was painful, and I asked him to stop," she says and there is a new curtain of tears falling from her eyes. "Then he continued, and when I struggled against him grip, he beat me and even heated his hand and burned the skin of my shoulder, slapping me and spitting at me," I glance at Tom-Tom, whose face reflects his disgust with Tanaka. "Then he forced himself inside of me again. It was awful and every time he… took me, I felt like I was being raped," her hands come up and cover her face.

"I thought it was over, but then he kept coming back. And every time I refused, Mika would beat me and throw me into my room where Tanaka would lock the door and force himself on me again. This repeated every time he visited," my eyes close. It's never easy, hearing the cries of a rape victim or the woes of their families. "I told Madam about it this evening and that's when you came in," her eyes shine in the candle light as more tears are shed.

"Bastards," I hear Tom-Tom mutter under his breath. There is an expression of deep anger on behalf of the girl as I gaze upon the Corporal. I hate to admit it, but a part of me is actually quite empathetic of the girl. I watch as Tom-Tom's expression changes suddenly as he forms the question that is at the back of my mind. "Who is Mika?" he queries and a tinge of sheepishness colors the girl's features, almost… almost like she's in love.

"He's my boyfriend," she states softly and Tom-Tom's expression becomes downcast. "We met about three months ago. He's Madam's son," she says. I consider this for a moment, rape and the assistance in the act is illegal, and I have no doubt the boy beside me wouldn't mind arresting that wolfdog. In the meantime, however, our concern is over this girl and her suspected murder of Tanaka.

"All right," I say and stand, signaling Tom-Tom to apprehend her. "It's late, take her to her cell," I tell my subordinate who nods, I watch as he cuffs the young lady and takes hold of her. His movements are laced with gentleness and what I know is the genesis of a forbidden romance.

X

Tom-Tom holds the space in between the cuffs as he escorts the girl through the icy winter. The young man shivers slightly as the cold hits him full force. He glances at Tia whose hands are stuck behind her back. A blanket of sheepish apology comes over his features as he garners the courage to speak with her. It will be his first words to the girl that do not concern the investigation; it will be the first time that he will be merely a boy, and she merely a girl. Their positions as military police personnel and murder suspect will flutter away with the gusts of wind that chill their bones.

"It hurts you," Tom-Tom states about the cuffs, as he notes the dip of the fabric over her chest, it is low enough for the contour of her breasts to show. He consciously tries to stop staring. The Corporal swallows hard and attempts, but fails, to focus on her features instead of her curves, his face a crimson hue. He watches her for a response as she looks into his eyes and nods. "If I let you free, you won't run right?" he asks. Pausing, Tia nods. His smile feels awkward and misplaced as he takes the key in his hand, inserting it into the cuffs' keyhole and twisting. They come away easily.

When his fingers accidentally brush against the softness of the skin of her wrists, he jumps a little. The young man feels a tingling sensation along the length of his arms as he clears his throat and writes this reaction off as just the cold getting to him. Although when the girl meets his gaze and smiles tentatively at him in thanks, his heart rate unmistakably quickens. The two teens share a moment and an unidentifiable emotion comes over the boy as he gazes at her.

"Thank you," she says finally and the Corporal feels his stomach flutter. This is the closest he's been to a woman in almost a year. The last time, he was with a hooker in a city, far north from the place where his family once stayed, opposite the palace. His father had caught him having sex with a woman who was about seven years his senior. It was his third meeting with her, and remains, to this day, one of the most exhilarating experiences of his life.

The Fire Nation prostitute had laughed at his initial hesitance just before his first time, and declined the money he had offered her. _You, boy, will need this._ _Thank me later, _she had said. The young man recalls spending the better part of the afternoon lying naked, atop her in the groundkeeper's garden shed, his pants thrown aside and forgotten. He remembers her writhing beneath him, while he had a hand in her hair and one tentatively brushing against the firmness of her breast.

Her tongue had caressed the roof of his mouth, as he felt every inch of him crawl. In truth, he was scared, terrified really, at the notion of losing his virginity. Although, that didn't stop him from allowing her to take it. Tom-Tom shudders and instinctively glances at the girl, his throat going dry.

They trek through the snow for a few more minutes. When they finally reach what seems like a barn, he brings her inside, into one of the cells, away from the Fire Nation arrestees. Tom-Tom knows that they are incredibly racist. They hate all Earth Kingdom citizens, their actions probably leading to the crimes they had committed which in turn landed them in prison. Incidentally, the cell he assigns Tia is in a secluded section of the makeshift prison.

An expression of discomfort crosses her features. Tom-Tom immediately takes notice and feels his ears warming as he acknowledges the throbbing in his loins.

"Well," he says tentatively as a means to dismiss the wind of awkwardness between them. "It gets quite cold here. Take these," he tells her and pulls two thick woolen blankets from where they hang just outside the cell. Pausing a moment, she takes them into her hands. There is an expectance in her eyes, almost as if she thinks he is looking to get some sexual favors from her. Tom-Tom ignores this and smiling uncomfortably, lights a small fire just outside the cell gate, he turns on his heel and moves to leave.

"Goodnight," she says suddenly and he glances at her. When he catches sight of the girl, he registers an expression of gratitude on her face.

He nods in her direction, and with an unexplainable emotion, forces himself away. That night, the Corporal lies in his bed and tries hard to fall asleep, but whenever he comes near to dosing, all he sees is the haunting emerald of her eyes.

Zuko

X

I retire to my chambers. The night is chilly, the ground is covered in a blanket of white as I trek through the snow with slight difficulty. It has come to half way up my shin and every step is labored. The cold, every firebender's adversary, though winter was Mai's favourite time of year, is more than a little daunting. After moving through the snow for a brief period, I reach my quarters. I look at the two young men who are tasked to watch my chambers.

Both are more than ten years younger than I, their faces are smooth and lack the severity of a veteran soldier. They are clothed in thick coats, with the Fire Nation insignia covering their left breast. I appreciate every one of my guards, even though there is no doubt in my mind that they are redundant. I am after all, more than capable of looking after myself. My councilors had demanded that I take guards with me. I had protested, citing the fact that I was going to the Earth Kingdom as a Colonel and not the Fire Lord.

As I politely rejected their suggestions, and they politely insisted on them, we reached a still mate. Finally agreeing that the guards would follow me on my journey but would not come between my work and I. They were to guard me only when I slept, stationed at only my chambers. The councilors were adamant that there be three eight-hour shifts, with two guards each. I not so subtly disagreed, insisting that there only be guards at night. Although, again their persistence, which can very well annoy me to death, ensured that there were guards throughout the day.

"Good evening Colonel," the boys say in unison as they stand at attention and pressing their fists to their open palms, bow in respect. I nod at them and greet them in return.

"That will be all," I say. Both guards exchange cautious glances and then look uneasily at me. "It's late, you ought to get some rest," I tell them to which they shift uncomfortable. I look at the taller of the guards. He towers over me, his eyes are grey and his lips set in a thin line. He raises his hand and stomps his foot, the protocol when talking to a superior whilst standing in a drill position. "Private?" he hesitates for a moment, trepidation reflected on his features.

"Sir, we have orders, Sir," he states, a little jittery.

"And they are to leave… now," I tell him, there is slight impatience in my tone which is completely unintentionally. I have no time for any of this nonsense. I need to be alone tonight, it isn't an option.

"Sir…"

"You are dismissed, both of you," I raise my voice. They look at each other, and then after a heartbeat, bow and leave me. When I am comfortable enough with the distance between us, I head into the place where I am to sleep. The room is less cold than the temperatures outside, but there is still a distinct coolness that I quite enjoy. It would do me no good to live in a stuffy, overwhelmingly hot hut. Despite my liking for the chill, it is far too cold a night to go without lighting the fireplace. With a single blast of fire, I ignite the tinder and the pair of torches on either side of the hut.

Then I take in a deep breath and pull the cloth covering the altar next to the dresser. Her face is as beautiful as I remember. The picture of my beloved Mai almost glows with her beauty. I take a moment to enjoy her gorgeousness and then I light the candles on both sides of the painting of her. It takes only a brief moment for the scent of the candles to fill my nostrils. It is welcomed and makes me calm. Can/dles, scented with fire lilies and a hint of cinnamon, Mai loved the smell, and would light them every night before she slept.

They would be lit every time we were together, every time we lay sleeping, every time we made love. I shut my eyes and hold back the tears that I am so close to shedding. When I have regained composure, I take a joss stick from the drawer below the altar and with the fire from the candle, light it. Holding the unlit portion to my forehead, as I close my eyes, I bow three times before placing the incense into their holder.

"We arrested a suspect today," I tell her as if she is here with me. "She's a pretty girl, I think Tom-Tom would be a good match for her…" _if only things were different,_ I think as I swallow hard. What I would give for another day with Mai, hell I'd face Koh himself if it meant being with her for a single hour more. I strip my uniform off my form, noticing that I am not wearing my outer coat I recall my earlier actions of placing it over Katara's frame. Remembering this, I make a mental note to return to the brothel to collect it from her.

Katara's image comes to me. She was wearing blue, a sign that she is Water Tribe. The vision of her eyes, piercing, deep and the most brilliant shade of blue I have ever seen, carves itself into my mind. There is an unfamiliar tugging at my heart as the possibility that she was sold into prostitution sends waves of sympathy through my veins.

For some reason, Katara reminds me of Mai. It is ridiculous, I know. For one thing, she wasn't a prostitute, but a woman far more fortunate, until her untimely death. Yet they are not all that different, they are both people who deserve love and care and to be seen with value.

The Water Tribe woman, during her twenty odd years must have had many partners. I'm sure that she must have been humiliated, degraded. It must be difficult to have one's days riddled with unwanted sex and constant belittlement. Although, this doesn't make her any less of a person than my beloved, or anyone for that matter. In fact, I respect the woman immensely for her loyalty to her friend, as she stripped herself of her clothing to help her. The thought makes me feel comforted that there is still good in this world.

The notion fades away from the material world, as does my mind. And that night, as I lie sleeping, all I dream about is the cosmos, where the sun and moon spirits lie side by side, connected by the curve of their fingers. There isn't an eclipse, simply co-existence and I take comfort in the fact that despite the folklore of yesteryear, where the sun and moon feud, there can also be peace, if only things were a little different.

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**A/N: Thanks for reading! please review! on another note... TOM-TOM IS FALLING IN LOVE... awww :') btw, the theme of this chapter is 'if only things were different'. rmb to ****review!**


	10. Chapter 10

As if it is commonplace, Katara finds herself once again in the presence of the shepherd whom she visits routinely. The chap, nearly a full decade younger than her, with broad shoulders and firm muscles under his tunic, is the person who provides her poison stigma sap upon her request. It's for the crimes she commits, a tool she uses to throw the police of their feet and make them think she's killing for Tu Di Zhong. She knows the young man through his visits to the brothel. The young man had engaged her services on exactly thirty occasions over the past couple of years.

His initial intention was to gain experience so he would perform well for the wedding night that had not yet been scheduled. Katara knew that this was merely an excuse to seek out a prostitute, but played along anyway. He wasn't one to talk much, though she had gathered that at that time, he had not yet found a partner.

She guessed that he grew weary of waiting and had opted to seek out a hooker. His ruse soon fell away, and his true intentions were revealed, clear as day. It was apparent to them both, although not said, that he was in it for the pleasure and had always been. Soon however, he fell in love with a girl who shortly after dating him, had agreed to marriage.

Katara didn't mind. In fact, she found this piece of information incredibly useful, for she now holds him ransom in a way. Despite her sympathy for the man, she has issued him a proposal, well, an ultimatum really, giving him the option of helping her or losing the woman he loves. She assumes he thinks she will let it be known, their shady… _lessons. _But really, she means that she would have no problem ending the girl. Such is the mind of a killer.

From a distance, she sees him and instinctively glances around her form. They are amongst the shrubs on the outskirts of the city, where few people venture. However, after a few incidences of nearly being discovered, the waterbender finds that slight paranoia descends over her every time she does things pertaining to the act of murder. She signals him to quicken his pace as tension presses against her chest. A faint expression of impatience crosses the man's face, even though he increases his speed.

"I'm glad you could come," she tells him. Katara has become accustom to his oddly severe features, and the stoniness that is normally present in his expression. He nods at her wordlessly, and brings a vial from his pocket. It is small, in no way substantial, to the untrained eye, but Katara is far from a novice and knows exactly how potent the poison is.

"Here," he says, his voice monotonous and a little nonchalant as he presses the thing to her palm. He has never asked why she requires the liquid, and she's never told him. The Water Tribe woman figures that he doesn't want to know her reasons and quite frankly this is a comfort to her.

"Thank you," she says and pauses. "How's your wife?" she asks. It is a loaded question, a reminder of his treaty with her. "I assume she's well," she says, her voice sickeningly sweet. The nineteen-year-old swallows hard, his mask of indifference quickly fading.

"She's fine," he tells the waterbender. In reality, his wife who is a full year younger than himself, has recently conceived their first child, but he will not mention this. Katara is way too calculating a woman to simply take the information as conversational. "If that is all," he begins, "I'd best be going," he says and she nods, thanking him again. _Yes, that is all… for now,_ Katara thinks, as she promises that they will, eventually, meet again.

X

Zakai has heard much about her, the woman who looks most enticing with nothing on but her necklace. The retired naval officer turned ammunition mogul has come in search of a good time. This will be the first occasion, in nearly twenty years of being a widower that he will finally find the pleasure his old body craves. Zakai runs his fingers over the gold bracelet around his wrist- a token of love and commitment. There is heaviness in his heart as his mind drifts to his late wife.

She was everything to him and more. Together they have two daughters, both of whom are non-benders specializing in broad swords and nunchaku. After slight unease and reluctance, he has finally convinced himself that this is all right. After all, it was his two girls who openly encouraged him to find new love. The man of sixty, with slight nervousness and abounding excitement, approaches the wooden doors of the brothel.

He has walked pass on several occasions, never daring to enter. Tonight however, he has gathered enough courage and has ventured here. The reputable pleasure the Water Tribe woman can provide under the covers has come to his attention. The men at the factory he has recently set up often bring up the woman in blue and the amazing lovemaking she provides. The mere thought of how his body will finally experience sex again makes his loins throb.

Zakai is in Geylang as an adviser of sorts, and has been asked by one of his former subordinates, Zhao, to help build a weapons factory. Of course, he will be paid handsomely; the admiral has assured him a tidy sum. For almost two months, the old man has been working tirelessly but now… now he finds himself here.

He garners all his bravery within him and raps on the door. It is nearly midnight and he seldom comes out this late but Zakai couldn't stop thinking about this woman whom he has heard so much about. The doors open and a woman emerges. She is dressed in an exaggeratedly tight cheongsam, her curves exceedingly round. Her makeup is heavy, her eyelids painted a dark shade of purple. He sees the maturity on her features and the wrinkles around her eyes. She isn't attractive and Zakai almost leaves in a hurry.

"Come, come Sir," she says and grabs his arm. He feels every bone in his body tingling with discomfort. _Who the hell is she? _He wonders as he hesitantly follows her. This is his first time actually stepping into a brothel and it isn't going well. He grumbles under his breath and tries to free himself of the woman's grip. "Katara!" she calls out, her voice awful and screechy. Curious, the man turns and looks up the stairs.

There, in a loose light blue tunic and a simple pair of pants, is the most beautiful woman he's seen since his late wife. He spots the necklace around her neck and watches her come from the stairs. She doesn't seem prepared for the night, judging by her lack of makeup and her dressing but he isn't complaining. If she would be willing to sleep with him for one night, he would be ready to pay her generously.

Katara… he quite likes the name and finds an instant attraction to the woman. He feels his old body respond to the seemingly sudden rise in temperature and smiles at her.

"Yes Madam?" he hears her say as she steps onto the ground floor. Her voice is sweet like honey and gentle, just as a woman's should be. "Good evening Sir," she says politely and bows. There is a small smile on her face. It doesn't seem forced, or reluctant and this comforts him. It makes him feel wanted, Agni, it makes him feel wanted.

"Take this gentleman, if he doesn't mind," the woman, whom he now knows is the Madam says. He doesn't quite like her because she doesn't seem particularly pleasant. When he finally gathers himself, he begins to speak.

"Yes, of course," he answers eagerly and takes Katara's hand in his. He catches her gaze and leans down to kiss her hand. Her skin is soft, smooth and smells like rose petals. "Good evening," he knows that he isn't all that attractive, after all, he is old enough to father her.

"All right then," the Madam claps twice. "Shall I then allow the two of your to _chat?_" her tone is bright as she steps away. Katara brings Zakai into one of the rooms on the first level of the brothel. She closes the doors and with his assistance, lights a candle. Katara recognizes an influential man when she sees one as she seizes him up.

He is elderly, clearly widowed and still very much in love with his wife, judging by the bracelet he still wears. He is probably just experimenting and doesn't know what to expect. She smiles lovingly at him. Katara has long since mastered the art of lying with her expressions and is a little amused when a huge grin plasters on his face. She leans in and the rest, as they say, is history.

X

After his wife's demise, Zakai thought he would never love again. This is in many ways true. In his earlier days as a widower, he found himself beside himself in sorrow. The only woman he had ever loved was dead. The grief drove him to retire early, he was only forty and could have stayed in the navy for a decade more. Promotion was looming, he had been among the three military men selected to be promoted to the rank of Admiral.

He had big dreams for himself and his family. With the highest naval honor on his shoulders, he would do his father proud. If the rumors were true, he would be the next officer in charge of the entire Fire Nation Fleet. On the eve of the promotion, he received a message via messenger hawk. The note was short, and all he knew from it was that his wife had a bad fall.

When he arrived home, she was already dead. The physicians assured him that there was nothing anyone could have done to save her. However, he never forgave himself for not being there to see her for the last time. He left the military after he was struck with a bout of depression. He didn't think he would ever heal.

Although, about half a decade later, after he had recovered considerably, he founded Power Corporation, an independent weapon's manufacturer that became the Fire Nation Military's biggest supplier. Although, even as he had known he would never get over his wife, Zakai felt as if life was beginning to turn for the better.

Years later, he finds himself here, in Geylang, the new centre of his company's growth. He didn't have the intention of meeting anyone _special_ but his daughters' encouragement and his staffs' recommendations made him change his mind. Still, it would be better if this meeting remains a secret.

Zakai rolls off Katara's form and rests for a moment. He has mixed feelings about this night. On one hand, it was awesome and he is completely sated. On the other hand, he feels like he's committed a sin. Sighing softly, the man lifts himself from his position lying on the bed. He glances at the woman next to him. Katara is practically glowing, with her nipples still hard and droplets of her sweat between her breasts. She looks like a goddess and reminds Zakai of his first time.

"So what's your story?" she asks as she sits up and leans against the headboard.

"Well, my wife died," he tells her and watches as the woman glances at his bracelet. "She had a fall," he continues, their nakedness distracting him distantly. "And when I got back she was dead." Katara watches as his expression falls and his lips turn down at the sides.

"I'm so sorry to hear," she responds and he nods. "Any children? Grandchildren?"

"Yes," he answers. "I have two girls, who are both mothers themselves," he pauses, smiling a little. "I have four grandchildren and one on the way," the pride in his family does not escape Katara.

"What do you do for a living?" she asks casually as she leans against the headboard, not bothering to cover up.

"I own the factory here," he states. "We make weapons and produce uniforms," he tells the woman. Katara shuts her eyes. He seems nice; she had hoped he was merely an insignificant pawn in this cruel game of chess. She had hoped he hadn't done anything to harm the world. Yet, now that she that she knows who he is and what he is responsible for, she cannot let him leave.

"You should go wash up," she begins, pointing at the bathroom door.

"Thank you," his eyes sparkle gold, as a grateful smile comes onto his features. There is sincerity in his words as he nods once and ventures into the bathroom. This is the first time she has ever felt this guilty of what she is about to do. Katara considers letting him live, ignoring the oath she swore to freedom.

Alas, the waterbender cannot turn her back on the people who have been scarred by this man's actions. And so, with a heavy heart, she takes the vial of poison stigma sap from the pocket of her pants. With every drop of poison that falls into his wine, with every moment of suffering she witnesses, she slips closer and closer to the eighteenth level of Hell.

Katara

X

Even after being a hooker for more than a decade, I still haven't found a person I'm actually attracted to. Although, I have become very capable of giving them the false comfort that I indeed enjoy the whole experience. Sometimes the new girls will ask if I've ever fallen in love with my clients, to which my answer is always flatly 'no'. This is obviously true. The only reason I even do this job is because I need the money. Pleasure is most definitely NOT in the equation.

Most, if not all of my customers, are poor in bed, stink of alcohol and are pompous fools who have their heads so far up their ass they think they're a master in lovemaking. Most, I do nothing to, apart from sex and accepting payment. Even though, every once in a while, I find victims in them. Very often, my victims are high ranking military personnel or business magnates, sometimes they're just violent bastards with perverse fantasies. Either way, I always comfort myself in the thought that the world is better off without them.

I will admit that sometimes, these people are considerate, almost caring, and maybe even kind. Sometimes my heart will soften and I will feel sorry for the actions that will ensue, but that has never stopped me from killing. I think it must be made clear that I am not a monster, that I do feel guilt, that I sometimes am more than reluctant to murder. Tonight is such a time.

Zakai is a kind man, partly why I chose to let him have my body before killing him. You would think that by now, after taking fifteen lives in ten years, after disposing bodies in the most gruesome way possible, it has become easy for me. Well, sometimes it is very easy, especially if they've attempted to take advantage of me in unspeakable ways. Sometimes I even find it feels _good_ to end their lives. Although, there are instances… when I feel pity and a tinge of longing that under different circumstances things could differ.

As I sit at the dresser and light a cigarette, I reflect on the pain I have inevitably caused his family. He lies in the bed, eyes open, naked and dead. The poison had made him incredibly sick as his eyes bled and his lungs caved in, to the point of no return.

I feel a tear fall from my eye. If life were kinder, we wouldn't even know each other. I would be living in the Southern Water Tribe with my parents and brother, he would be serving breakfast to his wife every morning and we would never cross paths.

If the Spirits had willed it, there wouldn't be a war, there wouldn't be suffering. Unfortunately, life is not kind, and neither are the Spirits. I have discovered that they delight in the suffering of man, that it is their goal to bring despair. I take a deep breath of smoke and quickly put the cigarette out. Dawn is coming and with it, the risk of being discovered. And so, I gather myself, put on my clothes and bend the blood from the sheets.

I dress him in all his many layers of clothing, which are obviously making things a little easier. When I am convinced that the coast is clear, I peer outside of the room through a small crack. Confirming that no one is there, I begin my hideous task of bringing him to the carriage Mammy had given me before she died.

And then we are away. Before long, I find myself at an abandoned warehouse East to the brothel. When we reach our destination, it is still slightly dark as the sun begins to rise. I glance up and in the dim light, see two things. The first- a sign written in dark, bold characters declaring the ownership of the place. Power Corp.

And second- the nauseating white of the Madam's son's smile.

* * *

**A/N: Okay! it's finally here! i kinda got distracted with writing other stuff. i wrote a Zutara fic and an Irosami one that was deleted after some consideration D: do give me ideas for Irosami if you have any! i really love that pairing and would like to write about them. **

**anyways, so... Mika (the madam's son) is here! oh me, oh my! what will happen next? anyways read and review! oh and by the way, i keep forgetting to tell you all... Geylang is a red light district area in singapore! also, fallen tears chapter 12 is on it's way! probably out in a few days (hopefully)._  
_**

**okay! thanks everybody, thanks!**


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